The Ghost of You
by Miss Grace O'Malley
Summary: Through time and trials and bloodshed, Darcy Lewis will prevail. She didn't come this far to fail, especially now that, against all odds, she and Steve have found each other again. She has a mission and she will succeed. (Part 4 of the I Saw the Light Series)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 _June 2, 2012 – St. Petersburg, Russia_

Russia was the same as how her memories made it out to be. Except, this time, Darcy wasn't a fresh-faced eighteen-year-old from Brooklyn. No, this time she was a kick-ass assassin-honorary Avenger that was dating – read _engaged_ to – Captain fucking America.

She refused to cringe as she walked down the street with Natasha by her side, willing the memories to come back without flooding her mind with everything she was scared of.

The memories of Steve and Bucky were the ones she welcomed back with open arms, never afraid of her life with them. But Russia was a different story all together.

"Stop thinking so much, _myshka_."

Darcy peered at Natasha, sighing when she saw the other woman meant business. "We have to meet Jane in an hour."

"HYDRA has the symposium on their radar." At Darcy's shocked look, the redhead elaborated. "It's a symposium for possible space travel. Dr. Foster is known for her work on the Einstein-Rosen Bridge. HYDRA would be remiss not to observe."

"I don't have a good feeling about this."

* * *

 _June 3, 2012 – Washington, D.C._

Steve was not thrilled with his accommodations. Even less so with the blonde neighbor that kept trying to find reasons to knock on his door (sugar, _really_ ).

Apparently her name was Kate. Which, by how many times she chose to say it, seemed like she was trying to convince herself of it rather than him. He knew that she'd seen Darcy's photo – the one from the Valkyrie – sitting on the mantle above his fireplace, yet she'd glossed over it in favor of other photos.

Like ones he'd drawn and framed.

" _Wow, you're an artist, huh? I've got to say, that one of the Manhattan skyline is beautiful –_ "

" _Brooklyn skyline." Steve had been quick to correct her. He hated being rude, but he had no patience for this._

 _She quirked her mouth at him. "Brooklyn boy, huh? Strong and a little crass…I can see it."_

And Steve hoped that she _never_ saw it ever again. Blondes were definitely not his type. Loud mouthed, curvy brunettes on the other hand…

He hated sitting by the phone, waiting for Darcy or Clint or Natasha to call him. It wasn't like him to idly sit by while others did the dirty work. He was a man of action that was reduced to waiting.

Thank whatever God existed that he had Darcy's Netflix password.

* * *

 _June 4, 2012 – Moscow, Russia_

As soon as the first gunshot rang out, Darcy and Natasha were pulling weapons from their person while shoving Jane into a corner.

"Security detail's down," Natasha said to her com after switching it on, pleased when Darcy did the same. "Stark, we need an extraction point. _Now_."

Darcy handed Jane a small handgun, ignoring the small woman's look of indignation. "Get to the bathroom and lock yourself in there. Don't come out until me or Talia come for you."

" _Short stack, you okay? Your tracker's going haywire._ "

She bristled at Tony's voice through the com and fired a few rounds towards a figure in black heading towards the hallway of the venue.

It was exactly what HYDRA would want. At least a thousand people running for their lives in a theatre venue that was much too small, in Darcy's opinion anyway. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. A barrel that only Natasha and herself were defending.

"Everything's fine, Tony," she replied, watching as Natasha herded the crowd of civilians to the stairwell. "Talia said that HYDRA had been scouting, but I'm not sure – "

"Hail, HYDRA!"

" – no, wait, _there it is_."

Men in black tactical suits propelled from the ceiling, the glass from the windows crashing to the ground around her. Raising her gun, she shot with deadly accuracy, grinning in grim satisfaction when half a dozen men fell hard to the floor. The redhead effectively picked off the remaining few, thoroughly concerned that so little men had been dispatched to deal with a symposium of this size.

" _JARVIS is looking for local feed_ ," Tony buzzed in her ear. " _I've called SHIELD for backup_."

Darcy felt something weird in her gut. It was the same feeling that hadn't gone away since landing. "Something's wrong," she said, mostly to herself. Holstering her gun, she reached for the blade strapped to her thigh underneath her short dress. Before she could grip it, however, another gunshot whizzed through the air, hitting Natasha in the thigh. "Talia!" She didn't think as she flung the blade towards the direction the bullet had come from.

A man stood across the wrecked amphitheatre, a mask covering his face. A gun was held in his right hand and the low light glinted off the metal of his left arm. He was armed to the teeth – blades and guns were strapped to every bit of his body, including _her_ blade held in his free hand.

Darcy had thought that if she was ever in such a situation that she'd be paralyzed by fear, but the fear wouldn't come.

Something was familiar.

" _Myshka_ , go!"

" _Net, ya s toboy_."

The man in black took a step forward, dropping her blade on the floor carelessly. She was transfixed as she watched him remove the top part of his mask, revealing grey-blue eyes that had her moving forward, too, without her permission.

"Darcy!"

Pain blossomed in her hip and she didn't realize what had happened until her knees slammed into the unforgiving tile of the floor. Her hand smoothed against the stained silk of her dress, coming back sticky with her blood.

The man that had shot her was quickly disposed of by the man in black, his neck bent at an unnatural angle.

She blurrily noticed that Natasha was back on her feet, heading towards the man. It didn't take long for the redhead to sink her own blade into his shoulder, struggling to latch on to him before he threw her aside.

Darcy's gasp caused the man to falter in his approach as memories filled her mind's eye.

 _Darcy growled to herself as she turned on her heel and started back to the corner store. A squeal of surprise tore from her as she was yanked backwards, falling on her bottom in the process._

 _"What in th' world." She cursed as she stood up, brushing the dust off of her trousers and trying to find her hat that had somehow fallen off._

 _"I saw the light – "_

 _"What's th' matter with you?" She asked the boy that stood directly behind her, her hat in his hand. "Am I not allowed to cross the street?"_

 _"I saw the light change. Didn't want ya to get run over."_

Her eyes closed, tears threateningly near.

 _Bucky nudged the head of his cock along her slit, circling her clit before he set it against her small opening. Her breath hitched as he slowly sunk into her, his body falling forward and catching himself on his right hand next to her head._

 _"Fuck, Darcy."_

 _Small hands smoothed their way up his ribs and around his back as her thighs cradled his hips, pulling him even deeper._

 _"James."_

The metal, the Red Room, the _missions_ …

 _"_ Sirena _!"_

 _She pulled back, looking at him with wide eyes. "Please. Please."_

 _It was easy to get themselves out of the clothes they were wearing. It was easy for him to slide her panties down her legs and clutch at her hips like it was a dance they'd done a million times before._

 _She swung her leg over his lap and felt him fill her to the hilt, causing her to let out a breathy sigh that had him flipping her onto her back and slamming his cock inside her with all his strength._

 _"_ Chertov ad _!"_

 _Her release crested against her and she whimpered out a small, "_ James _."_

It wasn't smart for her to try to stand, but she did it anyway, thankful that she only stumbled a little. Her right hand was plastered to her hip, staunching the blood flow as she reached out to him with her left hand.

" _Myshka_ – "

"James," she said softly, watching as his eyes shifted. His hair was longer, his face scruffy, and his body…it wasn't much different than the Bucky…the _Soldat_ she remembered. She _remembered_. "Bucky…"

He looked at her with slanted eyes, a cocky snark on his lips. "Who the hell's Bucky?"

* * *

"The Winter Soldier is a ghost story, _myshka_. I didn't think they were the same person!"

Tasing the second love of her life had _not_ been at the top of her to-do list. Just as it wasn't on said list to get shot.

Darcy rolled her eyes and dug the tweezers into her hip to remove the bullet, grimacing when blood coated her hand.

"He's…strapped in though, right?" Jane asked from the other side of the quinjet. She'd grumbled about the symposium being ruined for the past few hours and Darcy couldn't find it in herself to comfort her.

Of course, Darcy was also trying not to freak the fuck out from having James Buchanan Barnes three feet in front of her passed the fuck out.

Fuck.

Double fuck.

How the _fuck_ was she going to explain this to Steve?

Natasha set the jet to autopilot and swung out from behind the controls. She smacked Darcy's hands away from her wound and tended to it herself, already having stitched up her own thigh.

"And you're sure it's him?" The redhead asked quietly as she pulled the needle through the shallow part of the cut.

Darcy nodded, gritting her teeth. "I'd know him, Talia. I'd know him _anywhere_. But, he hesitated when he was coming after me, didn't he? And he fucking broke the asshole's neck that shot me. I didn't imagine that, right?" At Natasha's head shake, she continued. "What if he remembers me, too? What if – "

"He couldn't remember his own name, _myshka_ ," she said softly as she finished her stitching. "He was trained the same way you were with little contact after the initial conditioning. It's possible that he remembers something, but it's very unlikely that he'll be the Bucky you remember just as you'll never be the Darcy that Steve remembers."

 _Ouch_. That hurt.

But it wasn't like Natasha was wrong.

"Are you going to call Steve?" Jane asked, her expression a little less upset.

The brunette thought about it for a moment. It was a slippery slope when she was left alone to her own devices and as of right now only two other people knew that Bucky had been recovered.

"JARVIS, can you have the Hulk's room cleared?"

" _Of course, Ms. Lewis._ "

Natasha cocked her head at her. "What are you planning?"

Darcy cut away what was left of her dress in favor of the leggings and sweater she'd brought in her bug out bag. Twisting her hair on top of her head with a flourish, she said, "I want to make sure that there's still some part of Bucky still in there. It'll do no good to have Steve see him when he doesn't remember. This way…" she took a deep breath. "This way, if it goes sour, I'm the only one that knows."

"You're not alone," the redhead replied.

She gripped Natasha's hand and nodded. "I've got you."

* * *

Perhaps trying to move a sleeping assassin was a bad idea. Especially when he wasn't really sleeping.

"JARVIS! Lock down the tower. _Now_!"

Darcy heard the telltale snick of the lock behind her and the accompanying slams of Natasha's fists on the metal that had slid shut.

At least they'd had the foresight to disarm him, but she didn't think he'd have a problem ripping her throat out with his metal arm. As it stood, Darcy only had one small blade strapped to the underside of her forearm underneath her chunky sweater, having left all the guns and unnecessary blades in the jet.

Bucky's eyes were wild as his back hit the other door that had closed nearly ten feet away from her. She could tell that he was looking for an escape, anything to get out, but they were locked down tight. No window, nothing to break. There was about six feet of steel and one foot of fleshy human between him and his way out.

"Bucky, it's okay," she tried soothingly, watching how his eyes snapped to hers.

" _Vy yavlyayetes' aktivom_."

"Yes, I'm an asset. I _was_ an asset. That's not me anymore."

He glared at her. " _Ty vresh'_."

"I'm not lying." She took a few steps towards him, being sure not to spook him anymore than he already was. "Your name is Bucky Barnes. You were born in Brooklyn, New York." She sniffled for just a second before she added, "And you loved me."

" _Lyubov' k detyam_ ," he sneered, taking a step towards her.

"It is not!" She screeched, surprised with herself. The Red Room had ingrained many things on her, but that particular sentiment was not one of them. It made her blood boil to think that HYDRA had taken that from him. Taken _her_ from him. "Love is not for children, James Buchanan Barnes! You _loved_ me. You loved me with all you had! You joined a _goddamn war_ to save me! You and Steve are all I have left and I'll be damned if HYDRA is going to take you away from me!"

Darcy wasn't sure what propelled her forward, but one second she was on her feet and the next she was slamming Bucky's head against the cool metal of the joining door, ignoring the sickening smack it made. He managed to stumble for just a second before he grabbed her by her hips and threw her across the tight space, intent on coming after her.

"I don't know who the fuck Bucky or James is, _suka_ , but that won't matter when I'm through with you."

" _Soldat_!"

She watched as he stood ramrod straight, his teeth snapping together with an audible clack.

Fuck. This was _a lot_ worse than she thought.

* * *

"Darcy!" Natasha's hands hit the metal ineffectively and she swore. Whirling around, she barked at Jane, "Stay in the jet!"

" _Romanoff, why's JARVIS on lockdown? Why the fuck is he not listening to me?_ "

The redhead rolled her eyes, wondering why she hadn't switched off the com. "We have a problem, Stark. We brought home a straggler and Darcy thought it would be smart to lock him up in Bruce's containment unit."

There was a pause before, " _And I'm guessing this straggler isn't a cute puppy? Of course not. You people never do anything half-assed. Is he in the –_ "

"Darcy currently has him closed off between the entrance and debrief room. He's…Stark, he's part of HYDRA like she was. We have to get her out of there."

" _Cap's on his way and Legolas is stuck in the vents_." There was a rustling sound and then Tony's voice turned tinny. " _And I'll come blast my way through._ "

Natasha growled, "What do you mean? You called Steve?"

" _I figured he'd want to know –_ "

She swore a blue streak in Russian, resisting the urge to grab the pistols on her hips. It became a mantra not to shoot Iron Man when he made it up to the roof. She eyed the door, strategically wondering how much leverage it would take to bring it down.

" _No use, Romanoff. Reinforced steel. Needs a little more than a few bullets_." Tony landed beside her as he fired up his repulsors and took off once more.

" _Where's Darcy? Is everything okay_?"

The last thing the redhead needed was a frantic partner. Steve Rogers was not subtle in his concern and she'd be willing to wager that he was almost to Manhattan. Tramping down on her urge to switch off the com, she replied, "She's been compromised. Stark's working on it."

" _And Barton_?"

" _Darcy locked down the tower. I'm…stuck in a vent_."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Stark and I are on it, Barton. Stay put."

" _Where the hell would I go_?"

* * *

Darcy hit the ground hard, sure that her arm was, at the very least, dislocated. The taste of iron clung to her mouth and she grimaced as she tried to stand.

"This isn't you, Bucky," she said weakly, cradling her arm to her chest.

"Stop! You're…you're just another test!"

He lashed out and twisted her arm behind her back with his metal hand while his flesh one tugged her hair back so hard that her back arched. His hand closed around one of her bracelets and she had single-minded determination to get away from him as fast as she could.

" _Soldat! Stopp_!" She squirmed, kicking her legs back when she heard a small click.

The steel around her wrist grave way and he stilled behind her.

" _I saw the light_ ," he murmured, sounding dumbfounded. " _I saw the light_ …"

Darcy could feel wetness in her eyes. The pain in her shoulder was nothing compared to the pain that blossomed in her chest. "Bucky…James… _please_."

"D…Darcy? What…oh, lord."

The metal hallway shook before there was a gaping hole opened where the door used to be. The familiar glint of red and gold burst through and Darcy ducked on instinct. She didn't have a chance to squeal before Bucky was throwing his body over her protectively, not meaning to bounce her head off the metal of the ground.

Something was yanked off of her before it all went black.

* * *

"Don't touch her!"

"Back down, _Soldat_."

The brunet lunged forward, trying to get to the archer that had his girl in his arms. _His_ girl.

Clint looked up and held Darcy tighter against his chest, a feral look coming across his face as he noticed blood dripping from her temple.

Getting out of the vent had been hell. Nearly enough to never venture through them again, but he knew that was an empty promise. Despite the lockdown, he'd managed to rig one of his explosive arrows in just the right way to blow a vent cover off to get to his…to get to Darcy.

Seeing her with a goddamn man built like a fucking house on top of her had done little to dull his protective instincts. Even less so when Natasha started speaking Russian to him.

Tony snarked, "Calm down, nesting doll. Clint's probably the only man here that Cap wouldn't rip limb from limb for touching her."

Clint spotted Darcy's taser clipped to the redhead's belt and said, "Tase him if you have to. I'm getting her up to medical before stars and stripes arrives."

The man visibly calmed down and nodded sharply. "She probably has a concussion. Her left arm is definitely dislocated – "

" _Where's her bracelet_?"

Natasha's head snapped to Clint, watching how his fingers traced her words reverently. She grit her teeth and managed to grind out, "Get her to medical. _Now,_ Barton."

"What in the fuck," Tony wondered aloud as the archer hurried away with an armful of curvy brunette.

"I have it."

The redhead turned and noticed his eyes shifting unsteadily. His fists clenched and unclenched, nearly breaking the small band of steel.

A Russian curse fell from her lips as she tased him.

"Can bodies _stop_ hitting the floor, please?" Tony whined. "Search and rescue, not maim and kill."

"Is there a difference?"

* * *

" _I saw the light_ …"

Clint stared at the words dumbly. That definitely hadn't been what he had said to her when she'd found him. Sure, he'd thought she was an angel, but he had been young and…

He shook his head, running his fingers over them once more. It wasn't really a conscious decision when he unwrapped a few band aids and made a makeshift bracelet around her wrist. She didn't like her words being on display. And somehow he just knew that man had managed to get the bracelet off…

He didn't want to think about the implications of what that meant.

And, truth be told, he was getting tired of being in hospital rooms.

It wasn't hard to hear the commotion in the med bay. It was clearly Steve using his 'captain voice' to get what he wanted as fast as possible. It was irritating, really.

The door to her room opened and closed; Clint didn't even have to bother to turn his head.

"How is she?"

"Well, despite having her head slammed against almost every flat surface, being shot in the hip, and getting her shoulder dislocated, I'd say she's _just peachy_ ," the archer deadpanned.

Steve flipped back the thin hospital blanket and hiked her gown up just enough to see the bullet wound. His fingers were gentle as he probed it, satisfied that it was healing correctly. He valiantly ignored the way Clint blushed at the sight of her naked hip.

"Did the doctor tell you anything?"

"Why would they – "

The blond sighed and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I know you're listed as her next of kin," he said quietly. "I…I get it, y'know? You took care of her when I didn't even know she existed."

Clint swallowed noisily. "She means a lot to me, Cap."

"Call me Steve," he said automatically before he gave a small smile. "I'm starting to understand it. There's this… _bond_ between the two of you that rivals friendship and – I don't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"It's not that. Darcy…she raised me when I was a scrawny kid on the run in Iowa. She's my girl, but – "

"You were her boy first," Steve nodded, recalling Natasha's words. "I get it. I'm…sorry for being jealous about it. She needs a good friend like you."

Clint's memories took him on a tour of his childhood. Darcy finding him. Taking him in. Running around at the circus and helping her out of her costumes…

A sharp smack to the back of his head called him back to reality.

"Think about her naked again and all bets are off."

* * *

 _June 6, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

One door, two possible exits.

Suspended glass room – reinforced glass.

The Asset's arm whirled as it recalibrated, intent on breaking through.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

His head jerked up and he noticed a man standing in front of what he assumed was the door. His hair was dark and he had facial hair unlike the Asset had seen before.

"Darcy would kill me if something happened to you, even if it _was_ your own fault."

Darcy…

 _"I want him to love me like you love me."_

 _Bucky smiled, resting his forehead against hers. "Ya think I love ya?" His voice rumbled, low and sure._

 _"I know ya do."_

 _His mouth was on hers as the last word slipped out of her mouth. Teeth clashed together and a moan built in the back of her throat. Her fingers tangled in his hair and secured his mouth to hers._

 _It was messy and needy and just what she wanted._

 _"Goddamn, baby," he panted, barely pulling away from her. "You're as sweet as they fuckin' come."_

"Hello? Red October, do you read me?"

"Who _are_ you?"

The man blinked. "That's probably the first time I've ever heard that question. Most people just, like, _know_." He stepped forward, faltering a bit when he realized he couldn't hold out his hand in greeting. "Name's Stark. Tony Stark. Genius, playboy, philan – "

"Stark? As in Howard Stark?"

"Rude." Stark rolled his eyes. "Always overshadowed by that man, but yes. I assume you're part of Darcy's little harem she's got going. First Capsicle, then Barton…"

"Where's Darcy?" His mind cleared a little as he thought of his girl. Wasn't she going to medical? "Is she okay?"

"She hasn't woken up yet, but the docs said that it wasn't too surprising in her case. You bounced her head off of anything you could find, you know. She's lucky that the serum is still working after the shit she's been through."

"I need to see her – "

"Do you even know who you are?"

He wracked his mind, trying to recall. He could remember Darcy clear as day as if she were imprinted on his skin, his _soul_. And someone blond. Small, weaker… but Darcy was a warrior. She was magnificent and he'd broken her like a doll.

 _"James Buchanan Barnes, ya stop that right now!" Darcy hissed, stomping her foot to get her point across. "I've gone on everythin' you've asked me to, now it's Stevie's turn to pick."_

He swallowed. "My name is James…James Buchanan Barnes. I…me and Darcy – "

" _Sergeant_ James Barnes, actually," Stark said, making the glass slide up for a second as he tossed a file in before it closed. "Part of the one-oh-seventh regiment out of New York. One of the founders of the Howling Commandos. Awarded the Purple Heart and other things." He paused and watched as the other man flipped through the file. "One hell of a soldier."

"Killed in action on – "

"Obviously, _that_ was incorrect."

It didn't make sense. His memories were scattered, unraveling. But it was like Darcy was the key. The one thing that made sense. And he had to get to her.

"I told you my name," Bucky said gruffly, his blue eyes focused on the metal floor. "Can I see Darcy now?"

" _Sir, Captain Rogers is requesting your presence in the medical bay_."

"Thanks, JARVIS," Stark said distractedly. An idea bloomed in his head and he smirked. "I don't think I can bring you to see her, but what if I can bring a video?"

* * *

 **Be sure to leave a review!**

 **~Grace**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

 _June 6, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

Darcy's body ached.

The wound on her hip was almost completely healed, but she'd leapt out of her hospital bed like it was on fire.

She was sure that Clint was probably getting coffee – there was no way he'd leave her alone for anything less – and Steve was either still in D.C. or grabbing a quick shower. But for both of them to be gone when she woke up? Jackpot.

"JARVIS? Can you tell me where Bucky is?" She whispered, staring at the ceiling with baited breath.

" _Sergeant Barnes is being held in Dr. Banner's containment unit. Currently, Sir is with him. Would you like me to alert him that you are on your way_?"

She shuffled into the pair of leggings that were left at the bottom of her bed and a black tank top with a chunky sweater, grateful that someone had the foresight to bring her clothes. She'd have to go barefoot, though.

"Actually, J-Man, I think Steve needed to talk to Tony about overseeing the reconstruction on the landing pad. Mind getting him?"

" _Of course, Ms. Lewis_."

It wasn't difficult to slip out of the medical bay unnoticed. She half expected to run into Natasha, but the coast was uncomfortably clear. No hidden Black Widow, no Clint dropping from a vent to spoil her plan, nothing.

The entire tower seemed quieter for some reason. So quiet that Darcy could almost hear the soft sound of her feet trailing along the tile.

When the door slid open, she slipped inside, noting in relief that Tony was already gone. Her blue eyes found Bucky's form in the glass room and she whispered once more. "Jay? Privacy protocols, please. And…make sure no one can get in without my permission. Code Alpha – nine – four – two."

" _Granted, Ms. Lewis_."

There was a telltale dimming of the lights as she allowed her feet to carry her to the solid wall of glass. He still hadn't made a move to let her know that he knew he wasn't alone. It freaked her out how he held his body. It was…different than what she remembered.

"Bucky?"

The brunet blinked and looked away from the opposite wall, his attention completely on her. It was unnerving.

"Darcy." His smile was large and overdone and it reminded her of when he accidently ripped one of her favorite blouses when he got too excited one night.

She found herself nodding. "Yeah. I'm Darcy. Do you remember me, Buck?"

The skin between his brows puckered. "I know that you're mine. I know…I know that you're like me, too. It comes and goes, but sometimes I remember everything. Other moments…it's gone like it was never there."

Her hip was beginning to ache and she grimaced as she sat down on the cold floor, surprised when he did the same on the other side of the glass. A half smile tugged at her lips. "My memories are like that, too. I started keeping a journal to help me, but sometimes things just don't stick." A shaky breath slipped past her lips. "I remember Russia. The bad parts, I think. But I'm not sure if there were any good parts to even remember. You were _Soldat_. I was… _Sirena_."

" _Sirena_ …that…we were together, weren't we?"

Darcy swiped at the tears under her eyes. "Yeah, Buck. Almost always – "

"I meant in Russia."

"We…we worked together for the KGB, for HYDRA. Do you remember any of that?" She asked.

Bucky seemed to struggle for a moment. His eyes flashed from blue to grey repeatedly and she could hear the metal in his arm making odd sounds. "I was a weapon. I _am_ a weapon. An asset. They'll come for me."

"And I won't let them take you," she said vehemently. She got up onto her knees and placed both of her hands flat against the glass. "I'll fight tooth and nail to keep you here with us. I'm not going to lose you, Bucky."

His eyelashes fluttered as he placed his flesh hand against the glass, opposite of where hers was. "And what if they take you, too? What will stop them?"

Darcy looked down at the band aids covering her wrist and methodically peeled them off, revealing her words. "You see these?" At his nod, she continued, "I'm betting that we match. That underneath all that HYDRA did to us, we're still Darcy and Bucky from Brooklyn, New York. That we'd still do anything for each other."

Is this how Steve felt? Did it kill him the same way it killed her to see Bucky not remember their lives? All the hidden smiles, the experiences…all the _love_ just gone.

"Please don't cry, doll."

She ran her sleeve across her face angrily.

 _Doll_.

"It's going to be okay, Bucky. I promise."

* * *

It was nearly midnight when Steve managed to find her.

Darcy's privacy protocols had worn off and JARVIS had alerted him of her location – after a near tower-wide sized panic.

However, he wasn't prepared to be on the outside looking in as it was.

"Bucky?"

The brunet man was sitting cross-legged on the opposite side of the glass, watching Darcy with such a fascination that it left Steve both breathless and apprehensive.

How the hell were his two best friends sitting in front of him? How could fate be on his side in such a way? Was it to make up for him landing a plane in the ocean?

His best friend that he watched fall from the train in 1944 was literally in front of him with the girl that he thought had died in a bombing in 1941.

Bucky's hair had grown, it was nearly to his shoulders, and his face was hard like Darcy's was. Haunted. But the looks didn't matter when he saw the metal gleaming where his left arm should be, painted with a bright red star across the bicep. It twitched slightly and the sound of it recalibrating could be heard through the glass.

Shock kept him upright when he was sure that he was going to crumple. His life was turning out to be like one of those science fiction books he used to read.

"She's beautiful, y'know."

The blond nodded, properly shaken from his reverie as he watched how the other man sized him up. "She is."

"You know me."

It wasn't a question and Steve didn't think that he was really looking for an answer so he settled for nodding again.

"You remind me of someone. I got these memories up here," he tapped his temple lightly and let out a self-deprecating laugh, "But they don't really make sense. Not yet. She – _Darcy_ – helped talk me through some of them, helped me make a timeline in my head, but I'm not sure I'll ever get it."

"M'name's Steve," he said. "We used to be best friends. You saved me from getting my ass handed to me more times than I can count."

Bucky snorted. "Must not've done that good in school, huh?"

"Jerk."

"Punk." It had slipped from his mouth before he could stop it. It seemed natural and it was uncomfortable on his tongue. He cleared his throat. "You lookin' for her?"

The side of Steve's mouth quirked up. "She made a run for it from the med bay. Been missin' for a few hours."

"She okay? I…I'm the reason she was there."

"She seems to be. She just fall asleep?"

Bucky nodded. "Talked herself out. I forgot how much our girl could talk. Used to get her in trouble – I'm sorry. Those aren't – "

"Those are your memories just as much as they're ours. Darcy's always been a chatterbox. That's why she needed two of us. Needed someone to keep up with her, Buck."

"Didn't hurt that she was a looker, either."

"No, that didn't hurt anything."

There was a beat of silence between them and Steve glanced down at the passed out Darcy, noting that she had found the clothes Clint had brought for her. It miffed him that most of the things she owned where threadbare and on their last leg, but he'd never tell her that she didn't pull of the homeless chic look. Truthfully, thin leggings were becoming his best friend since he wasn't able to get her near as naked as he wanted.

"You takin' care of her?"

"I'm tryin' to. I was never any good at it like you were, Buck. You always knew when she needed something, even before she did." Steve sighed, deciding to take a seat on the ground next to Darcy and pull her into his lap to help her avoid the crick in her neck that he know she'd have when she woke up. Her arms wound around his neck as he urged her legs around his waist so he was holding her like a small child with her face buried against his neck. "She tell you about her own memories? I thought so. She's workin' through everything, too. It's…hard. But she'll never give up. HYDRA had her for a long time, y'know? She won't let them win."

"D'you…do you think I could get a pen and paper? I…I want to write down everything that I talked to her about." Bucky looked vulnerable and Steve had never seen him be so unsure about himself. He was a cocky hoodlum from Brooklyn.

"I can get it for you. And see about gettin' you some better accommodations. I know Darce will have something to say about this containment unit."

Steve flawlessly stood with his arms full of Darcy, carefully grabbing one of Bruce's pads of paper and a pen and pushing it into the unit. He watched as Bucky instantly got to work and his heart hurt for everything they'd all lost.

"I'll see ya tomorrow, Buck."

"I won't let them win, either, y'know."

Steve turned back around and gave him an questioning look.

"HYDRA," Bucky elaborated. "Darcy won't let them win. And neither will I."

* * *

 _June 7, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

"You're taking an interest in her."

Tony's hand stilled as his eyes swept up to the doorway of his lab. "Can I help you, Romanoff?"

The redhead pushed off of the wall and sauntered towards him. Head cocked slightly as she took him in. "Darcy. You've been accessing her files often. Something you're looking for?"

The screwdriver clattered to the table as he sighed. "Barton told you, I'm guessing. It's not like he's capable of keeping his mouth shut anyway."

"He told me that you thought Darcy is your daughter."

"Bingo." He scratched his chin after taking off his welding mask. "JARVIS originally only ran for normal relations, sibling and so on. But the serum contaminates her blood, too. She's still reading as my daughter. All the evidence is _there_ – "

Natasha gracefully leapt onto the table, sitting daintily as she assessed his words. "Darcy was born in 1917. A combination of the serum and being a…prisoner of war, for lack of a better phrase, has kept her looking identical to when she was injected. Bruce is aware of the situation and Clint didn't feel like it was his place to tell you about her. But, rest assured, Darcy is _not_ your daughter. Even if that's what the results are telling you."

Tony nodded, but she could tell that he wasn't really listening. "Yeah. Loud and clear, agent."

* * *

 _June 7, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

Darcy woke up swaddled in enough blankets to keep her nice and toasty. Her brain was still a bit fuzzy, but she managed to shake it out. The serum was doing its damndest to repair what her body had been through.

"Darce, do you want pancakes or waffles?"

Opening her eyes, she realized that she was swaddled in Clint's bed. A mental shrug later and she was sitting up and rubbing her sleepy face. "Are _you_ making them or Talia?"

"I can cook just fine – " her glare made his voice break and he mumbled, "Nat made some pancakes before she took off for a briefing."

She hummed in appreciation. "Pancakes it is."

It wasn't long until she meandered into the kitchen and nearly lunged at a cup of coffee that Clint had been fixing for himself. Her growl cut off his whine of protest before she drank it down, savoring the scalding liquid.

"We're gonna have to talk about the elephant in the room."

Blue met green wearily and she sighed. "Yeah. Well, obviously Steve's not mad at me because he brought me here and Ja- _Bucky_ us trying to figure out the HYDRA bullshit, so I figure it can't be too bad, y'know?"

Clint set down the coffee pot – that he's _been drinking out of_ like an uncultured swine – and sat ramrod straight. His voice was stilted like he'd rehearsed what he was about to say. "The Winter Soldier is no joke, Darcy. He's responsible to countless murders – "

"And I'm not?" She screeched back, jumping up so fast that she spilt her coffee in her lap. Ignoring the pain, she snapped, "He was trained just like me! I'm not normal, Clint. I never will be." Her voice cracked pathetically. "Finding them both nearly seventy years later…fate had something planned for us. Sometimes…sometimes I think it would've been easier if I had fallen in love with you. If I didn't remember the past."

"Darcy…" He was at a loss for words. Did he want that? He had before. Now, he was so much older, so different.

"It's all just so fucked up. I love Steve and I love Bucky, but that Darcy is _gone_." She shook her head and swiped the tears from her cheek. "Going to Russia was the worst thing that ever happened to me."

* * *

Pity party aside, Darcy was feeling a little bit better after Clint had consoled her. She ventured to the containment unit to catch a glimpse of her brunet lover, becoming disgruntled when he wasn't there.

"Jay, where's Bucky?"

" _Sergeant Barnes has been moved into a space on the Captain's floor as per orders from Sir._ "

She shuffled her feet. "How is he?"

" _Sergeant Barnes is adjusting with the help of literature. He has also requested your file_."

"He can have access – "

" _Excuse me for interrupting, but he has already acquired it. Sir is busy rebuilding the fire walls now._ "

Darcy couldn't help the small giggled that bubbled out of her mouth. He'd always been such a little shit.

" _Ms. Lewis? Sir has also requested you meet with him in the penthouse at five o'clock_."

"Got it, J-Man. Thanks."

* * *

"You shouldn't be reading that."

Bucky sighed and shut the browser. "She wouldn't mind. She's always – "

"Things have changed, Buck. She's not the same girl you remember."

Hours of talking and getting Bucky adjusted to his new accommodations had been easy. Apparently, seeing Darcy and having her recognize him as James Barnes and not the _Asset_ had done wonders with reconnecting parts of his brain that had been short circuiting. Tony was sure he could fix his mind, too. Once he had a handle on everything, that was.

Steve knew it was a bad idea to move Bucky without his girl's permission, but he couldn't stand seeing him where he was. Besides, he didn't seem like he was all that dangerous – nevermind that he put her in the hospital for a few days, that was the _Asset_ , after all – and he deserved basic comforts. A shower never hurt anyone.

It was strange having his best friend back. But he was also more than eager to hear about what had happened while they'd all been separated. Darcy was a closed book for the most part, keeping things in until they were pried out, but Bucky was eager to share whatever he had. He wrote it down methodically, somehow managed to search for it on the internet, too. (" _Must be something from HYDRA, I don't know nothin' about security breaches_.)

"Well, seein' as I don't remember much, it wouldn't be a problem." The assassin shrugged. "I've got to figure out these HYDRA memories and Stark thinks he can flush the programming. I don't know if my memories will come back. They're so muddled as it is. I remember her dress from the surprise party you threw for her. How good she felt when I was inside her for the first time. How beautiful she looked with her belly swollen with my seed – "

Steve jerked away from the small desk, nearly making the laptop fly off because his chair was caught in the cord.

"Steve – "

"Darcy was _never_ pregnant, Bucky," the blond bit out. He smoothed his palms against the rough denim of his jeans in a semblance of control as he stood. "She went away and her stomach was flat as could be. I _know_. I know because I tried like hell to get her pregnant before she left."

 _"Soldat. Stand down."_

 _"Ve ne mozhete vzyat' yeye."_

 _His handler approached him with caution, his hands held up in surrender. "We don't wish to take Sirena. She needs to go to medical. There is an…unforeseen issue."_

 _Soldat's hand wound around her waist from behind, feeling the small nudging that he'd been protecting for the past few months. His blue eyes were feral as he backed the both of them into the corner. His eyes looked wildly for an escape._

 _"Zhelaniye."_

 _Soldat jerked, cramming himself tighter into the corner, squishing Sirena in the process. "No! NO!"_

 _"Rzhavvy. Semnadsat. Rassvet. Pech. Nin."_

 _Sirena whimpered, her hand clutching his side. "James."_

 _He roared, charging at the men as his handler rattled off his trigger words._

 _"Gruzovoy avtomobil."_

 _Soldat stood stock still, staring blankly ahead. His hands were at his sides, covered in blood from the men that had threatened his Sirena. His detka._

 _"Soldat. Return to the morozilka."_

Blue eyes shifted to grey and Bucky shook his head slowly. "No… _Sirena_ …she was pregnant. She was carrying my child and…they took her away!"

"Bucky, calm down!"

Steve's words fell on deaf ears as Bucky practically tore the door off its hinges and barreled for the emergency stairs.

"Bucky!"

* * *

"Find your boy toys?"

Darcy had become immune to having Clint drop from unsuspecting vents. Looking up from the files she had spread across the kitchen counter, she shrugged a single shoulder. "They need some boy time. Bucky needs to work through a few things. Hell, when I woke up, I was in a hospital and they claimed I had amnesia. At least he's getting all the right info the first time."

Clint hummed noncommittally, glancing over her shoulder at the files. "Those are SHIELD files."

"Yes."

"And…"

"I hacked Fury's profile and used his clearance to get everything possible on the Winter Soldier," she explained with disinterest. "Already patched it back up, he won't even know."

"You're scary efficient."

"Have to be – what the hell is that?"

Yelling could be heard from outside the lounge and she cursed as she got up, closing the files.

The door was flung open with such forced that she stumbled backwards before a strong pair of hands held her hips in a death grip. His smell assaulted her next and she struggled. "B-Buck? What's wrong?"

" _They took you_."

His face made its way against her neck and she melted. One arm went around his broad shoulder and the other threaded in his hair. "I'm right here. Everything's fine – "

"They _took_ you. And the _detka_." His hands went to her stomach questioningly and all the blood drained from her face.

 _"It's a miracle she carried the child this far, Mr. Pierce."_

 _Her handler glanced at her, disgust on his face. "She cannot carry a child to term?"_

 _The doctor reviewed the chart that was handed to him by his assistant. He clicked his tongue and sighed. "The strain of serum that she was injected with leaves her body in stasis. Her body doesn't change, therefore accommodating a child is out of the question."_

 _"Is there a way to alter the serum that she received?"_

 _"Not without possibly killing her. I – ah – believe she is most valuable as she is."_

 _Sirena cringed. Her stomach had been flat when she awoke and that meant her child was gone. Her handler scowled at her and she ducked her head._

"Darcy!"

* * *

"It wasn't viable – "

"But she's okay, right? There weren't any complications?"

"The only complications comes from her strain of the serum," Bruce said, pushing his glasses up his nose as he studied Darcy's chart in front of him. "You and Sergeant Barnes at least seem to be aging, however, you were both preserved in ice, generally speaking. Darcy isn't aging. She's stayed physically eighteen since 1935."

Steve swallowed roughly, looking down at his girl in the hospital bed. She'd collapsed with little fanfare, having Bucky follow her down not even a moment later. He was so used to being the sick one, needing to be taken care of. It was odd to be taking care of the strongest people he knew.

"I'm trying to take apart the serum, see if we can at least get her clock ticking – "

"What if we can share her serum? Recreate it?"

Bruce looked at him wearily. "Hypothetically, you'd never die."

"Or age. I'd never have to leave her again."

The scientist shook his head. "It's risky. We'd have to dissect her serum and build it back up again. Trial and error. I need time."

The blond sighed heavily as he nodded. "Don't tell her about this. If Bucky was right about his memories…then I don't want her to be put through it again."

"I, uh, inserted the implant when I took her blood," he said, scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably. "You can, ah, resume _normal_ activities. Without risking another issue like this one."

Steve blushed down to the roots of his hair. "That shouldn't be a problem. We're not really there at this point."

"Tell that to what just happened."

There was some shuffling as Bruce gathered his papers and beckoned Steve to follow. "Let's go check on Sergeant Barnes. I need a few blood samples, anyway."

* * *

Tony hummed as he flipped through his daughter's chart, intent of studying her. Her blood was swarming with a strain of his father's serum that he'd never seen before.

He'd barely listened to what Natasha had said. There was no way that Darcy had been born in 1917. Blood didn't lie and every test was pointing to him being her biological father.

Clint claimed that she was older, too, but Culver had her down as a freshman – graduated early – and she now held her degree in political science. Which pissed him off even more; his progeny could do much better than that.

He'd waited until Captain Sparkles had cleared out to check on the Russian assassin before slipping into the hospital room. It was ridiculous how much she favored him. Same hair and skin, same snark and wit. It was a wonder that no one else had seen it yet.

"Tony?"

He stilled and noticed that her eyes were open, staring at him curiously. "Hey, pumpkin. How're you feeling?"

Darcy blinked tiredly. "I'm okay. What happened? Is Bucky okay?"

He rubbed his beard absently, noting that he needed to shave after his science bender. "Doc said it was information overload. Too many memories all at once. Your mind needed to adjust without the rest of you freaking out."

A sad look flitted across her face as Tony watched her come to terms with everything. He handed her a box of tissues when the waterworks started and he was thankful he'd missed her puberty. A rack like that _and_ confused emotions? No thank you.

"Do you want me to get Steve?" He asked once she'd calmed down a little.

" _Captain Rogers is currently with Sergeant Barnes speaking to Mr. Wilson._ "

"Thank you, JARVIS," Tony nodded. "So – ""

Darcy was already getting up, carefully pulling the needle from her arm and swinging her feet over the side of the bed. "I'd rather just go back to…"

"Barton's? Cap's?"

"I…"

"I had a suite made up for you. Even had Barton bring up a few of your things," the brunet shrugged. "Part of the penthouse – "

"That's _your_ home, Tony."

He shrugged again, feigning nonchalance. "Running out of room. Besides, you won't spend a lot of time there. Between the boys, you'll hardly be around." He paused. "Think of it as a getaway."

* * *

"Your trigger words are going to keep you hostage. Now, Darcy's working with Natasha to fix hers – and it's going well – and you should probably do the same."

Sam Wilson was not what Bucky imagined. A stuffy white coat, maybe, glasses pushed down his nose. But definitely not a thin, dark man with a kind face.

"Why can't I work with Natasha?" The brunet grumped.

Steve sighed. "It's a conflict of interest, Buck. You used to be her handler in Russia."

He blinked. "I don't…I shot her, didn't I?"

"Without so much as a glance."

"But not Darcy?"

The blond smiled. "Our girl pulled you out of it. You protected her against one of HYDRA's men. You knew her despite everything."

Sam nodded. "Maybe we should start there."

"It was Brooklyn, 1928…"

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **~Grace**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

 _June 12, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

"Oh, honey, don't cry."

Darcy couldn't help it. Her lower lip trembled and she hastily swiped at the tears gathering beneath her big blue eyes.

Seeing both of them together was probably the best thing that had ever happened to her. Seeing Steve and Bucky whole – ignoring the metal arm – and healthy made her heart soar. Kissing them goodbye in 1936 had nothing on finally, against all odds, being reunited. Seeing both of them individually had nowhere near the impact of seeing them together and Darcy was surprised she didn't face-plant on the soft carpet of Steve's apartment.

"I'm just _so_ happy," she whispered, sure that they could hear her.

Bucky hovered near the couch, more than content to watch how she and Steve interacted, but his resolve crumbled when his girl started crying. He was across the cozy living room in a mere of matter seconds, holding Darcy tightly against his broad chest.

"Shh, baby. Everything's okay," he rumbled, carefully squeezing her small waist with his metal hand.

It wasn't long until she was smooshed between two super soldiers, her sniffles dissolving almost completely as she relished in the feeling of having both of her boys back.

"I'll keep you safe, honey. Both of you," Steve promised with a kiss to the crown of her head. "I'm not letting HYDRA come near this place."

Her hands reached up and cradled Bucky's face between her palms. Her eyes were wide in awe and gratitude practically radiated off of her. "I'm so lucky," she said softly, a smile tugging at her plump lips. "I never thought I'd have this again. Never thought there was a chance in hell that I'd feel this normal after everything. I…" she faltered, mentally cursing the tears she felt again. "I'm the luckiest girl – "

"In Brooklyn – "

"In _Manhattan_ – "

"In New York," she giggled. Her eyes closed and she let out a sigh of contentment. Things couldn't get better.

After a brief struggle to untangle themselves, they were situated on the couch – once more making a Darcy sandwich – and she held each of their hands. Bucky on her left and Steve on her right.

"Your bracelet – "

"I got it, punk," Bucky said gruffly, pulling the slim metal band from his pocket and handing it to her. "Didn't mean t' take it off – "

"I don't…I don't want to put it back on quite yet," Darcy said, twisting it in her hand. "We've never…never really talked about our words. It's about time, don't you think?" She looked between them questioningly.

The brunet looked down, a look of shame coming across his face. "Baby, I don't…I don't really remember all that much besides you. I'm still a little on guard with Stevie here since he looks so different."

She nodded. "You have a meeting with Tony tomorrow, right?"

"Gonna try to get my head straight."

"I'm going with you," Steve announced protectively. "I trust Tony, but I don't want just anyone picking your brain apart."

"Thanks," he said quietly. His eyes shifted back to grey for a moment before he asked, "Do you stay here with…Steve? Or do you have your own place?"

"Why? Trying to move in with me already?" She smirked before she shrugged. "I originally moved in with Clint – the archer dude – but then I found Steve and, well, I have a few places to choose from. I normally stay here, though."

"Clint?"

"They're just friends, Buck. I'll explain it to you."

"I've got a meeting with Talia tomorrow…"

Steve squeezed her hand softly. "I'll stay with Bucky. You and Nat can work on your memory at the same time. You're already making so much progress, honey."

Darcy yawned heavily, laying her head against Steve's shoulder. "Is it naptime? I feel like I haven't slept in a week."

"That's because you _haven't_ ," the blond quipped back. "C'mon, honey, let's get you to bed."

She allowed him to scoop her up in his arms, nuzzling her face against his neck. "Fine. But both of you are getting in with me. The bed is plenty big enough now."

* * *

"When was the last time you slept?"

Bucky blinked down at the small brunette currently drooling on his chest. He gave a one-armed shrug. "I don't remember."

Steve was fitted against Darcy's back, his own voice belaying his own exhaustion. His head popped up and gave the other man a stern look. "Get some shuteye, Buck. You've got a long day tomorrow."

"The… _Asset_ didn't normally sleep. They put me on ice after a mission. Stayed up most o' the time I was out."

"I'm gonna burn every goddamn HYDRA facility to the ground."

Bucky nodded. With his jumbled mind, he was only sure of a couple things. The first was that Darcy was the single most important thing in the world. The second was that HYDRA needed to be dismantled at all costs. "The three of us. We'll take them down for everything they've taken from us."

They took his life, his _death_. They took his mind and his free will. They took his girl and hurt his best guy. They took his _child_. Darcy had miscarried because of them.

He was going to give them hell.

"It's good to have you back, Buck."

He sighed, "It's good to be remembered."

* * *

 _June 13, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

Memories were a funny thing.

His memories of Darcy were almost frayed at the ends. Like they had been plucked from a bigger story and given back to him. A memory without content, essentially.

Bucky wrote down everything he remembered in a small, bound notebook, hoping one day it would all make sense.

His feisty brunette had given him a soft kiss and a tight hug before running off to her own meeting. Steve seemed torn as to who to go with, but a grumpy, dirty-blond haired man had swept his girl away before Steve could worry too much.

 _"That's Clint," Steve has said, shrugging when the man offered a half-assed wave over his shoulder. "You'll get used to him."_

 _"He sleepin' with our girl?"_

 _"Nope. Never has, never will."_

His knee bobbed up and down as he fidgeted. Stark's lab wasn't as scary as what he was used to, but labs in general put him on edge. With good reason, of course.

"Darcy already had a pretty good handle on her memories before I offered to help," Stark had said as he wiped the grease off of his hands. He looked pretty put together despite his shirt looking worse for wear. "Romanoff has it well in hand. You, on the other hand, might very well be a trap from the damned octopus."

"Tony – "

The older man held his hands up in surrender. "I'm not saying that he didn't defect out of the goodness of his heart, but _what if_ the thought was placed by Nazi scum?"

Steve shook his head defiantly. "It's not like that – "

"Steve, _stop_." Bucky sighed, his hand running through his hair in exasperation. This wasn't an argument he wanted to have. "He's right. I _could_ be a ticking time bomb. So could Darcy!" Stark startled violently at that, but Bucky kept going. "HYDRA hasn't come after either of us yet. Why would they let her go? She woke up in a hospital and I was taken. We've gotta look at the big picture." He paused, glancing at the blond's wrecked face. "HYDRA has a plan and we've got no idea what it is."

Stark was quiet for a beat before he clasped his hands together. "Well, I'm all for throwing over German war-era organizations. Let's take a look at that arm and make sure there's no trackers."

Bucky huffed. "I'm going to regret this, aren't I?"

"Darcy said you would."

Stark let out an undignified sound before he shrugged. "Can't argue with her. She's smart."

* * *

" _Sirena_."

Her pinky twitched. _Progress_.

Natasha nodded in approval. Cocking her head to the side, she asked, "Have you thought about hypnosis? As a way to recover your memories. Maybe help put them in order."

The brunette bit her lower lip thoughtfully. "But what if I never come out of it? What if – "

"There's a lot of _what-if's_ , _myshka_. If you live your life avoiding them, is it really a life?"

"Have you done it before?"

"Wilson's normally pretty good at it. He helped me with…repressed memories. It may also be a viable option for you."

Darcy trusted the redhead almost as much as she trusted Clint – and that was saying something. With Bucky trying to rewire his own brain, maybe it would be a good idea.

With a decisive nod, she said, "I'll try it. As long as Steve and Bucky don't know about it. Unless something goes wrong."

Natasha laughed. "Nothing can keep you from their sides, Darcy. Unfortunately, they're too smart for that."

"Unfortunately," she scoffed back.

Natasha's smile faded as she closed the notebook that held the other woman's trigger words. "You know that Barnes will start going on missions as soon as he's able, right? The men that share you are much too self-sacrificing for their own goods."

It wasn't something that she'd given much thought, but she knew Natasha was right. Nothing would keep Steve from jumping into a fight and Bucky would jump in after him regardless of the danger.

But that didn't mean that she had to wait at the tower while they were out saving the world. No, she'd be right next to them, kicking ass and taking names.

"I should have Tony buy me some new Kevlar."

"And let me buy you some new clothes while you're at it," Steve interjected as he stuck his head into the communal office. His hair was a little ruffled, his smile a little forced. "While you're at it, I mean."

Darcy tilted her face up and he indulged her with a quick peck on the lips. Her brow furrowed and she whined. "What's wrong with my clothes?"

"You look homeless, _myshka_ ," Natasha deadpanned as she stood. "Spend some of his money."

"I have my own money – "

"Technically, it _is_ your money," Steve smiled. "How do you feel about a trip to Brooklyn? I've got a few things to take care of."

* * *

Darcy liked being the filling of a sandwich. Especially when she was always cold and her boys were heaters. Bucky's metal hand flexed into a fist on his knee, his body radiating more than just heat.

They'd borrowed one of Tony's old trucks, the kind with the bench seat in the front. The drive to Brooklyn wasn't too long, but Steve was a lot more relaxed than his counterpart.

"You okay, Bucky?" She whispered, placing her small hand in the crook of his metal arm.

"Don't like being out just yet."

Tony had called Bruce in and the pair had worked on Bucky's mind for the better part of almost eight hours. Even with Bruce's protests of ' _I'm not that kind of doctor_. Tony assured him most of HYDRA was gone from his mind, but Bucky could still feel _Soldat_ on the skirts of his mind. As if he was waiting to protect _Sirena_. It was…odd.

Steve glanced over and gave him a reassuring smile. "It'll get better, Buck."

"I feel disconnected. Like I'm going through the motions. But…Sam said it'd be good to see things that might remind me of my past," the brunet said. His eyes shifted uncertainly, but his flesh hand curled around the one that wrapped around him. "This is good, baby. I'm just nervous."

* * *

"I've only been here a few times," Steve said as he fit the key into the door. "Howard paid someone to keep it up. I guess he never gave up hope that he'd find me."

Darcy nodded, apprehension crawling up her throat. She could see the little rundown apartment in her mind's eye, but the outside looked so different now. The pieces weren't fitting together as well as they should have. "It's the same? My things are still here?"

The blond shrugged, "The same as when I left for Camp Lehigh. We still…we left some of your stuff out to make it seem like you were still here. Still in Brooklyn."

"Made us not so lonely," Bucky interjected, his eyes widening in surprise. "Maybe being here _is_ a good thing."

She shuffled inside after the boys, noticing the yellow wool coat in a heap under the coat rack next to the door, obscuring a pair of low heels.

"You were in the habit of dropping things anywhere," the blond said fondly. "Liked keeping it there."

"It's on the floor," she mumbled, bending over to swipe it up. The feeling of the rough fabric against her fingertips caused her to stumble before hands caught her waist.

 _"Are ya takin' that with ya?" Steve asked, holding up the yellow coat. It was nearly as big as he was and he scowled when she giggled._

 _"Nah," she smiled, taking it from him and dropping it on top of the heels she'd kicked off earlier. "Buck got me a new fur coat to take with me. Figure it'd be warmer. Softer, too."_

"Honey?"

"I left it here," Darcy murmured, clutching the worn fabric. "I didn't take it to Russia."

"You wanted it here so you'd have something warm to wear," Bucky recalled, his brow furrowed. "Stevie left it there. So, you'd pick it up when you got back."

"And then Buck enlisted and Erskine took me to Camp Lehigh." The blond sighed. He looked around the cramped apartment and he felt his throat constrict. "It woulda been so much different if none of us went anywhere."

Darcy's hands fluttered down to the hands on her waist and leaned back against Steve's bulk, relishing in the feeling of being safe. "I should've never went to Russia."

"I shouldn't have enlisted," Bucky added, his eyes pained.

She swiped at the tears gathering under her eyes. "I could've stayed here. Worked for that library on Sixth Street that needed a librarian. We could've gotten married," she bit her lip, "I would've been pregnant in no time. We would've had that houseful of kids that we wanted. We…we wouldn't have had all this blood and war and missed chances between us."

Bucky's lips captured hers right as the last word slipped from her mouth. He was soft, but insistent against her lips and she was putty in his hands. He pulled away after a few moments, his breath coming in pants as he cradled her face in his hands. "HYDRA may have tried to take you from me, but they never succeeded. I remember you. I remember _Sirena_. You pulled me back when I was so close to the edge that I'd thought I'd lost everything."

Her voice broke. "Bucky – "

"I love _you_ , Darcy Lewis. We can still have all those things that we dreamt about. The marriage, the house in the country, the babies…we can have it all. Because if anyone deserves it, it's us. All three of us."

Darcy threw her arms around his neck and sobbed against him as Steve's arms snaked past her waist and clutched Bucky.

It had been decades since they'd been in this apartment together. Decades since they'd cried in this very entryway. But they were crying for different things now, different _people_.

Darcy Lewis was no longer Darcy Lewis of Brooklyn, New York, heading off to a prestigious ballet school in Russia, leaving two boys behind.

No.

She was Darcy Lewis, engaged to two of the most dangerous men to walk the earth.

She was Darcy Lewis, a girl that was finding herself more and more everyday with the help of friends that she considered family.

But most of all, she was Darcy Lewis, a survivor.

* * *

 _June 25, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

 _"Fuck, Darcy."_

 _Small hands smoothed their way up his ribs and around his back as her thighs cradled his hips, pulling him even deeper._

 _"James."_

 _He growled. Literally growled and she shook around him. Having his name fall from her lips made something inside of him snap and he simply couldn't be gentle._

 _Sitting back on his legs, he pulled her up his thighs and dug his hands into her hips, forcing himself inside of her as hard as he could. Her hands covered his and her mouth was open in a silent scream._

 _"Bucky – ya gotta be gentle – "_

 _"Can't," he grunted back at Steve, thrusting his cock into her tight sleeve a bit harder, resulting in a breathless squeal._

 _"Bucky – "_

 _"Fuck!" Darcy bit out, her body taut with want. "Harder, James! Please!" She screamed when he complied, bucking her hips up to gain more friction. "Steve, touch my – oh yes!"_

 _Steve's fingers circled her clit and brought her to such an orgasm that her voice failed and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Bucky felt her flutter around her, but he kept going, feeling the flutter stutter to a stop before he roared her name and forced his cock as deep inside of her as it could go._

Darcy sat bolt upright, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. Her thighs were slick and her clit was throbbing almost painfully.

It didn't occur to her that she was in Steve's bedroom until her feet hit the floor. She must've fallen asleep on their couch again, not that she ever really slept in Clint's apartment anymore. Light filtered in underneath the closed bedroom door and she tiptoed towards it, cracking it open.

"Just write down anything you remember. I know that the memories are getting easier to piece together now, but it'll help. Darce still keeps a journal, too."

Her legs were wobbly and she leaned against the doorframe, watching her boys huddled together on the couch. Her heart swelled happily.

They had made it through so much to finally be together again. An ocean, a country, a war, death, HYDRA, a miscarriage…

This was where they were meant to end up.

"Honey?"

Steve's voice pulled her from the haze and she smiled warmly at him. "Hi."

Bucky stood, unsure if he should go to her. The metal of his arm glinted in the low light coming in through the window. "You okay, baby?"

"It's just so surreal." She shook her head. "I keep expecting to wake up in Brooklyn, covered in sweat because the fan gave out again. I don't have to make your lunches or fix dinner…" She sighed. "Everything's different. _We're_ different."

"But we never stopped loving you," the brunet said for the both of them, earning a strong nod from the other man. "We never stopped and we never will. It's surreal, but in the best possible way. This…this is a lovestory that writers dream about writing. _We made it_ , Darce. We beat all the fuckin' odds."

"Language," Steve chided halfheartedly.

Darcy smiled. "How about you two join me in the bedroom?"

Bucky gave her a filthy smile. "Oh? Why's that, baby?"

She stripped off the chunky sweater she was wearing and kicked off her leggings. "I was having the best dream…I'd rather make it a reality."

She swore that she hadn't seen either man move that fast before.

* * *

 _July 9, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

"I'll be back before you know it," Steve said tightly, clutching his girl to his chest like a lifeline. "Bucky will keep you safe."

Darcy pulled back and sniffed tearfully. "I'm not worried about being _safe_ , Steven Grant Rogers. I'm more upset that I can't go with you. You don't have the best track record when it comes to fights!"

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "I'll be safe. I have Tony and Natasha. Pretty sure Clint will be coming, too – "

"Awh, not Clint!"

" – and the tower will be on lockdown until I get back. Or Tony does."

Darcy had been dreading the call to assemble since they'd began getting back on track – mentally and physically. Truthfully, her sex life had never been better. Especially since she didn't have to worry about giving Steve an asthma attack as she cried for him to fuck her as hard as humanly possible.

"Honey…"

"I just don't want you to go," she whispered, her blue eyes begging him to stay.

"I've got to. If I don't, then who will? Once…once Buck's all right, we'll all be out here. And then, when we're tired of it, we'll retire." He smiled. "Or at least slow down."

She nodded in defeat. "But what if I'm pregnant?"

His hands went to her shoulders and he looked her over critically. "Are you?"

"It's a hypothetical question."

He relaxed slightly. "Then, _hypothetically_ , I wouldn't step more than ten feet away from you for nine months. I'd give up the shield and be home with you and Bucky in our little apartment in Brooklyn. You'd be barefoot and pregnant and so happy, honey."

"I love you so much," she cried as she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. "Go kick some bad guy ass."

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **~Grace**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Chapter 4**

 _July 13, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

It was a call she never wanted to get. One that she'd been dreading since she put down her number as his next of kin.

Steve was still away on his mission and Bucky was getting his brain examined by Tony – trigger words didn't stand a _chance_.

She tore down the streets of Brooklyn, a death grip on the steering wheel. The resident billionaire had given her a car for emergencies and she'd hoped that she'd never have to use it.

The door to the nursing home slammed shut as Darcy hurried inside. Her bare feet slapped against the worn tile and Darcy was sure that she made quite a scene. Her ringlets were frayed, her pajamas on their last leg and she belatedly realized she was indeed barefoot.

"Darcy."

"I'm here, Spot," she whispered, haphazardly pulling up the chair next to his bed. He looked _so_ tired.

"We gotta get th' papers from Weasel. Y'know, they're tryin' t' raise the price. Damn Pulitzer. He's a greedy son o' a bitch."

She sniffled. The dementia was getting worse. Pulitzer had tried to raise the prices of the newspapers before she'd even started selling with him. But a boy named Jack Kelly had changed all that a long time ago.

"I already got 'em, Spot."

He turned and looked at her, his eyes the most lucid she'd seen in a while. "You're th' prettiest girl in Brooklyn, y'know that, Darcy? What I wouldn't've given t' have ya on my arm. When ya turned sixteen, I damn near lost my mind. 'M glad ya got Buck and Stevie to take care o' ya."

Darcy laughed. "I love you, Spot. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"You're th' smartest girl I ever met."

She watched the morphine drip in the IV, knowing it wouldn't take long. He was heading for the rest he deserved. She held his hand tight, willing away the tears that were clinging to her eyelashes.

"Ya were the first person that cared 'bout me for me, kid," Spot rasped as his eyes closed. "Ya didn't care that I was an orphan or a newsie or a scrawny kid from Brooklyn – "

"You were _never_ scrawny."

" – and I fell in love with ya the second I went away for the army. I'm glad ya get another life, baby. Ya deserve it."

Darcy sobbed openly as she kissed the top of his wrinkled hand. She would never have this – the luxury of fading away. The serum prevented it.

" _You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away_ …"

Spot Conlon died in the wee hours of July thirteenth. He was one hundred and seven years old.

* * *

 _July 25, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

"You're tellin' me that there's _no_ way to get in touch with Steve?"

Stark looked over his glass of scotch in annoyance. "Emergencies only, Barnes."

"Darcy losin' her brother _is_ a goddamned emergency!" Bucky yelled, slamming his hand down hard on the bar top where the other man was sitting. "She's not eating, barely sleeping! She's losin' weight – "

"Her brother? What?"

He sighed as he ran his hand over his face. "Her brother died a couple weeks ago. I know Barton's en route to get here, but I don't know if it'll be the same and – " his voice broke. "She's hurtin', Tony. And I'm not enough right now."

The other man swallowed heavily and nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

* * *

"Baby, talk to me, _please_."

Bucky was so far below begging at this point that he would've done anything to get her to talk to him. Before, when Darcy was sad, she lashed out, often decimating the object of her hurt with her sharp tongue. He would take that if it meant she would do something other than stare out of a window all day.

He sat down at the foot of the chair she'd dragged next to the window and sighed, leaning his head against the side of it as he closed his eyes. "I…I know I'm not who you want right now, Darce. I'm sorry he's not here. I talked to Tony, though. I think he's gonna try to get him a message or something."

He heard a slight rustling before she climbed into his lap, her cheek flush against his chest. Her small body was wracked with sobs and he held her as tight as he dared.

"I miss him so much," she whimpered. A piece of her that kept her anchored to the past was gone now. She couldn't visit him anymore. Couldn't tell him about how hard it was adjusting to this new time with her old memories. How hard it was differentiating between the Darcy she was and the Darcy she _is_ …

Bucky tucked her head underneath his chin and sighed. "I know, baby. I got you. Let it all out."

It took a few hours before she was all cried out. Bucky's ass was numb from sitting on the carpet, plush as it was. He managed to get up without dropping her or stumbling and had just set her down when JARVIS announced that he had a visitor.

"Let 'em in, JARVIS."

" _Of course, Sergeant Barnes._ "

Heavy footfalls followed after the front door slid open and closed, stopping outside the shut bedroom door.

There was a muffled, " _Hope they're decent_ ," on the other side before the archer was shouldering his way into the room.

His green eyes zeroed in on Darcy on the bed, her frail body and the tear tracks lining her cheeks. He sighed. "How long?"

"A couple weeks," Bucky responded gruffly. He had to shake away the slight protective defense that had washed over him in the other man's presence. "Been tryin' to get a hold of anyone that's been around her since…but it's a blackout. Tony just got back a week ago and I heard you and Natalia were out of contact."

Clint nodded. "I tried to get a message to Steve before I left, but I don't know if it went through."

"How did you know to come back?"

"Darcy has the number for my burner phone. I keep it on me just in case. She...she left me a voicemail. It wasn't exactly asking me to come back, but I know her."

Swallowing his pride, Bucky asked, "Has she ever been like this before?"

"Only once that I've noticed," he answered, walking further into the room and brushing the curls off of her face. "It was after she told me everything before she disappeared. She kept waiting for HYDRA to take her. Couldn't get a word out of her unless she was performing. I was living with her ghost for so long that her absence was familiar and crippling all at once."

"And then?"

"And then she was gone. I looked for her as much as I could. Tried to dig up anything on her when I joined SHIELD, but she's a ghost story, Barnes. Just like the Winter Soldier. She was marked down as a casualty in Pearl Harbor, an _unnamed_ casualty. You wouldn't find her unless you were really looking and I _really_ was."

Bucky shook his head, "Steve tried – "

"Steve isn't a spy. It's all about looking for what you're not expecting, finding patterns in the pattern-less." Clint shrugged, pulling the throw at the bottom of the bed over her and switching off the light. "She meant everything to me and I would've done anything to find to find her. I _did_ do anything to find her. I never would've joined SHIELD if I thought it couldn't help me. And then she literally fell into my lap in a seedy, little New Mexico town. The world has a weird way of righting itself."

"I guess."

"C'mon, let's get some coffee and let her sleep. From the looks of it, she needs it."

* * *

Darcy woke up with a scream attempting to crawl its way out of her throat. It was still dark out, but she had no idea how long she had slept for. Hours, days, a week? Time wasn't all too relative at this point.

She kept waiting for Bucky, Steve, Clint, _anyone_ to help her.

She was drowning in all the sorrow that was filling up her chest and all she wanted to do was _breathe_.

Darcy had stood by herself at Spot's funeral as the only attendant. He had no real family that cared, no children or a spouse. There was just a distant niece that lived in Boston and didn't have the money to pay for a funeral.

But Darcy wasn't asking for money; she paid for Spot's funeral in full, knowing exactly what he would've wanted. She watched as the priest had said a few words and then threw some dirt of the casket as her brother was lowered into the ground.

 _"Are you going to be all right, miss? Do you want me to call anyone?" The priest had asked good-naturedly._

 _Darcy shook her head. "No thank you, Father. I'll be leaving shortly."_

 _It wasn't until she was alone that she stared down at the dusty casket with a bit of morbid fascination._

 _What would it be like to be on the other side of the lid?_

 _How would it feel to breathe her last breath?_

 _What would dying_ feel _like?_

 _For all intents and purposes, she should have been lowered into the ground, too. She should've lived her life, popped out a beautiful family and watched them grow, should've made her decisions and left this earth._

 _But now, she was a part-time Avenger. A former brainwashed Russian spy. A HYDRA machine that was on borrowed time._

 _The same unease had slipped under her skin like it had when she was sure that she was going to be taken when she was with Clint._

 _It was a time bomb._

 _They knew where she was, what she was capable of._

 _When Loki had made his way to New York, she was on television just like everyone else that was fighting. Granted, she had a mask, but that meant nothing when HYDRA knew every single inch of her. When they'd trained her and knew what her body could do._

 _She sat down next to the freshly dug dirt and sighed. "Why'd you have to leave me? I wasn't ready…"_

Darcy shook away the memory and rolled out of bed. She knew it was time. She couldn't wait for Steve to get there and she couldn't risk Bucky getting taken away again.

Grabbing a notebook, she scratched out a brief note, having déjà-vu of having done the same thing more than a lifetime ago.

She dressed in her Kevlar and laced up her boots before giving a long look to the room she was leaving behind. _Steve's_ room.

"JARVIS?" She asked quietly.

" _Yes, Miss Lewis_?"

She swallowed thickly. "Don't alert anyone that I'm gone until morning, please. And only if they specifically ask."

The AI seemed to hesitate for a moment before replying. " _Of course, Miss Lewis. I wish you well on your endeavors_."

"Thanks, J-Man."

* * *

 _July 27, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

Clint was the first one to notice.

He'd fallen asleep outside Steve's room, leaning up against the shut door, woken by the stray light filtering in above the small window in the kitchen. When he stood, an eerily familiar emptiness slinked into his bones and he jerked the door open so fast that he almost worried that it would come off its hinges.

The bed was empty, made in the way he was accustomed to. No rumpled bedding or pillows out of place. She'd planned it. She'd let them take her. _Again_.

"JARVIS," Clint barked. "When did Darcy leave?"

" _Miss Lewis departed shortly after midnight, Agent Barton._ "

"Why was no one alerted? I have protocols in place – "

" _She used her override code. I do apologize._ "

Clint clenched his jaw in frustration. Leave it to her to sacrifice herself. "Wake up Barnes, tell him to meet me in Tony's office." He paused. "And wake up Tony."

" _As you wish, Agent Barton_."

* * *

Bucky stared down at the small notebook. He had dressed in his normal combat uniform, for once being grateful that _Soldat_ was still taking residency in his head.

When he'd seen that it was a note, he snapped it shut before he could be tempted to read it. He was waiting for Steve, he _had to wait for Steve_. Darcy wasn't taken, she'd surrendered herself. And for what? HYDRA wasn't going to get her. Bucky would never allow it. He'd willingly go back if it meant that she was off of their radar for the rest of her life, safe with Steve.

"Cap's about twenty minutes out, Romanoff's piloting," Stark said as he whisked into the room, his suit halfway on. He looked more worn for wear and it was an odd look considering he was normally so well put together. "Do we have any leads? Any ideas where she went?"

Clint looked up from counting his arrows. "She went back to HYDRA. Nat's been intercepting codes and warnings for her since the battle of New York. That's how they've been getting the intel for the HYDRA raids. I think losing her brother was the breaking point. She doesn't have anymore ties to this time."

"She has me! And Steve!"

Stark scoffed. "That's a tie to _right now_ , not now. Before finding out about you two wonder twins, she was trying to settle in to being normal."

"Darcy…has always been complicated," Clint started, weary of the weight of his words. "At the circus, she devoted everything to helping me, raising me. And when I got old enough, she disappeared. It was like her work was done and – "

"Are you calling her Mary Poppins, Katniss?"

"What I'm _saying_ is that she's got this innate sense of self responsibility and if she thinks the only way she can help is to hand herself over on a silver platter, then she's going to do it. To save the people she loves."

The door to Tony's office opened with a bang and a disheveled Captain America burst in. "We came as soon as we could. Where's Darcy?"

Bucky wordlessly handed the notebook to his best friend.

 _To my boys,_

 _I have a few things I need to take care of. Things that need to be remedied before I can move forward. It's not their choice, but mine. And I'll come home. I'm sorry that I'm so selfish, but I need to do this. For me. For_ us _. I'll be back, I promise._

 _All my love,_

 _Darcy_

Steve swallowed harshly. " _I'll be back, I promise_ ," he repeated, remembering her words when she'd left the first time. Let them both to join the circus.

"HYDRA won't let her go, Steve," Natasha interjected, looking over his shoulder and reading the note. "She willingly walked into the lion's den with no back up."

Stark had been relatively quiet up until that point. The thought of his daughter being tortured was enough to break him. "Suit up, Cap. Well, in a clean suit, anyway. I'm calling Coulson." He looked over at Clint and sighed. "Might as well call STRIKE, too. We've got an Avenger to save."

* * *

 **What did you think?**

 **~Grace**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

 _Unknown date – Unknown Location_

Darcy blinked blearily up at the bright lights that surrounded her. No sooner had she climbed down the fire escape and headed down an alley when her vision went completely black.

Her head was currently killing her. Most likely a concussion. Strong bindings held her to the metal table beneath her, but she didn't try to struggle. She didn't want them to think that she didn't come willingly.

If she could resort to being _Sirena_ , she might gain enough trust to be used once more. Possibly enough to gain access to other HYDRA locations that she could systematically take out.

Eradicating HYDRA for good.

For her.

For _Bucky_.

"You're saying that you _found_ her near Stark Tower? Did you sweep her for bugs, implants?"

"Of course, Mr. Pierce. The only thing we found was a birth control implant and that's been removed just to be safe. She seems to remember her programming as well."

Darcy struggled to control her heartbeat. Any sign of distress and she'd be found out. Letting _Sirena_ creep to the forefront of her mind, she slowly slipped backwards, now an active participant instead of having her mind locked away.

She heard expensive shoes clicking against the ground before Alexander Pierce was looking down at her in disdain. "She looks the same. I guess Zola's serum is to thank for that. You said that she's been living at Stark Tower? What about Foster?" He turned and asked the doctor. "Have you done any questioning?"

"We've been waiting for you, sir."

" _Sirena_!"

"Ready to comply," flowed from her lips easier than she cared to admit.

Mr. Pierce cocked his head. "English, that's interesting. What do you know about the Einstein-Rosen Bridge?"

"Dr. Jane Foster has successfully used the bridge twice, the first time being completely accidental. She has since relocated to Germany to work with other scientists of like-minds. I no longer report to her."

"Why has she been with Stark?" Mr. Pierce asked mostly to himself.

"She's close with Agent Clint Barton, also known as Hawkeye. They were together in the late '80's, early '90's before she was found again." The doctor answered, removing the IV from Darcy's arm. "There's been no drugs in her system. It truly seems as if _Sirena_ was a sleeper and decided to return back when there was no more useful information to be found."

Mr. Pierce grunted in understanding and waved a dismissive hand over her. "Put her in the chair and then stick her in cryo. I don't want her going on missions until _Soldat_ has been found."

The doctor waited until the other man left before he looked down at Darcy curiously. "I'm not putting you back in that chair. You're complying. You're cooperating. I can't avoid putting you in cryo, but the chair will be our secret."

* * *

 _August 5, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

"Steve, calm down – "

"No, Bucky! Our girl is out there somewhere. _Alone_. We don't know what they're doin' to her!"

Steve had been inconsolable upon finding out that Darcy was once again lost to them. What good was being Captain America if he couldn't find the love of his life?

"She's at a HYDRA facility somewhere. Most likely, they're tryin' to get as much information out of her as possible." Bucky sighed, taking a seat at the small dining room table in his and Steve's apartment. "She knew what she was gettin' herself into. She's too smart, Steve, you _know that_. We gotta be ready for her when she gets back. No beatin' ourselves up because we can't find her."

The blond hung his head, his voice a whisper. "What if they hurt her, Buck? What if she can't remember us again?"

"Barton said she never forgot us, not really. But, if it happens, then we'll be here to remind her. I'm not lettin' her slip through my fingers again."

 _"Captain, Sergeant, you're needed in Sir's office."_

It took them less than five minutes to get to the designated floor – by _stairs_ – and they were surprised at the reception waiting for them.

"Captain Rogers, Sergeant Barnes. Glad you could join us," Agent Coulson said as he looked up from a large file that was spread out across Tony's desk. "We might have some intel on your girl."

Steve looked around at the Avengers gathered in the room. Thor was pouring over what looked like a map while Natasha and Clint were huddled together in a corner. Bruce was sat next to Tony opposite Coulson and there were a few other SHIELD agents that he didn't recognize.

"She has decimated a facility, brother Steven," Thor said proudly, a smile tugging at his lips as he pointed to a place on the map.

Agent Coulson raised his hand slightly. "Now, we're not sure that it's her, but – "

"JARVIS, play the clip."

Suddenly there was a surveillance video playing on the table top, showing a petite brunette walking away from the fiery wreckage of the building, a pistol in one hand and a tactical knife in the other.

"She singlehandedly disabled communication between all the bases, managed to get them offline, locked everyone in a room, and set it on fire," Tony deadpanned, looking over the file that he'd slid over to him. "One hundred and seventeen casualties. Only three weapons missing from the armory – a knife, a gun, and a box of matches."

Natasha stepped forward, her arms folded across her chest. "She's letting _Sirena_ out to play. She's being clinical and lethal about everything. We're not dealing with Darcy anymore."

Bucky jolted at the moniker and he could feel _Soldat_ perk up in his mind.

"My lightening sister is fierce. She will return."

Bruce pulled off his glassed and rubbed his eyes. "She's moving fast. My assumption is that she wants to take them all out while they're still offline. She's using fear tactics." He shook his head. "She's using what they taught her against them."

"And there were no survivors? No one to identify if it was her?" Steve asked, pulling the file from the table and looking at what remained of the facility.

Agent Coulson hesitated for a moment. "There was one. One survivor. A doctor that was assigned to her and was supposed to put her in cryo. She put him there instead to save him. Said it was going to help with the red in her ledger."

Bucky closed his eyes. He knew that she didn't have a mean bone in her body, but he could remember how she'd been under HYDRA. There was no mercy from her that could be found. If she'd let the doctor live, then Darcy was still in there, _Sirena_ wasn't completely in control.

"We tracked her to a secret hangar. She must've gotten coordinates and clearance codes from the facility before she dismantled it. She's heading to Europe – at least that's what the doctor believes. He…he also gave us some intel about someone he was working for."

Tony threw down an open file, showcasing the face of the Secretary Alexander Pierce, second in charge of SHIELD and the World Council. "This son of a bitch is behind everything. Coulson is here as a favor – SHIELD can't know about it. We're not using SHIELD resources, employees, _nothing_. We can't trust them, Cap. Fury's been AWOL since the facility went down. We can't trust anyone."

Bucky stood defensively. "Then why are we here? How do we know that he," jerking his thumb towards Agent Coulson, "Isn't going to go after her?" He turned towards Steve, "We gotta keep her safe."

Natasha nodded. "Wheels up in ten, boys. Coulson, we _won't_ be checking in this time."

Agent Coulson sighed. "Understood, Romanoff. I recommend switching off your tracker."

She gave him a wicked look. "It's been off since I stepped foot in the tower."

* * *

 _Unknown date – Bulgaria – HYDRA Facility_

Darcy crashed through the vents right behind the smoke grenade she had tossed down. A bullet whizzed passed her ear and she wasted no time un-holstering her weapon and shooting it with deadly precision. A thump of a body hitting the floor had her pressing a button on the small device she'd rigged up, effectively closing off the facility. No one would be getting in or out.

Another button had tear gas dropping from the designated areas she'd set it up in only hours before. With three additional bullets, she'd dropped the rest of the agents in the room and she shouldered her way out the door, her gun at eye level.

She'd already cleared the control room, clearing out the bodies and rustling up any files that she deemed important, including popping a flash drive into one of the computers and downloading everything. Before she started the blaze that would consume the entire facility from the inside out.

A bullet lodged its way into her left shoulder and she clenched her teeth to avoid crying out. Instead, she spun around and took a knee, firing a single shot and taking down the asshole that shot her.

Her skin was already trying to heal as she lifted herself into the designated vent that would be her escape route. When she was far enough from the facility, she pressed the remaining button on the device, hearing the muffled _booms_ that meant the building was collapsing. Debris poured from the sky and Darcy vanished as if she'd never been there at all.

* * *

 _August 29, 2012 – Bulgaria_

"She rigged it from the inside. Must've scoped it for a few days," Tony said as he looked down at the blurry pictures Clint had managed to take after tracking down the smoking wreckage. "Clean job, too. SHIELD's all over it, counted a few dozen casualties."

"Computer's were shot, though," Clint grunted as he looked up from the laptop he was trying to coerce into reading his flash drive. "Darce fucked 'em up good after she got what she wanted."

Steve sighed. "She's hitting the main facilities. If we can start with the feeder ones, than it'll get done a lot quicker."

"Already ahead of you," Tony smirked, pulling up a map on his tablet. "JARVIS was able to get into their computers the second Darcy accessed them and pulled a map. We've got about a dozen feeders all over the country, little ones, less than a hundred agents a piece. There's only three main ones left and she's got them under control. None of them have access to each other, so they're all going in blind."

They were holed up in one of Tony's family's properties that had long since been off any sort of map. While Clint and Natasha were out scouting as much as they could, Tony, Steve, and Bucky planned strategies. Which the latter was less than thrilled about.

Bucky longed to get out and start taking down HYDRA with his bare hands, but Darcy was already doing that. He'd settled for feeder facilities if he had to. As long as she ended up coming back to him. To _them_.

"Get your gear together, boys. We've got some Nazi-scum to get rid of."

* * *

 _September 19, 2012 – Unknown Location_

Darcy's body was thrumming with adrenaline. It was the final base that needed to be destroyed. The final one before HYDRA – including its underground networking, because she'd dismantled that with ease – was eradicated all together. The only person she'd yet to catch was Alexander Pierce, but that would come with time. And she'd rather that he be tried before the Supreme Court and imprisoned for a very long time.

When she found out that the feeder facilities were being targeted, she was worried. But after keeping an ear to the ground, she deduced it was the Avengers helping her out. Thankfully. She didn't want any more red in her ledger than necessary.

Darcy had been scoping out the facility for almost a week, watching the patterns and trying to gain all the information on all the inner workings that she could. From what she could tell, Wednesdays were the only day where everyone was accounted for in the facility. And that's what she needed for maximum impact.

After this, she could go home. Go back to Steve and Bucky. Live out the life as an Avenger and then they would all eventually retire without the threat of HYDRA held over their heads. Well, once Pierce was taken care of.

When the last car pulled in, Darcy got into place.

She had a battle to finish.

* * *

Darcy glanced over her shoulder, wiping her hand against her cheek and grimacing when it came back red. This facility had proven to be the most well protected that she'd come across so far. They'd put up a fight, but she had went through all her bullets, her blade was now dull, and her joints were aching like no other. She was pretty sure that she needed stitches along her thigh and her shoulder set, but she was almost there. There was no hesitation as she pressed the final button on her small remote, watching with grim satisfaction as the entire facility imploded behind her.

She took a deep breath, ignoring the twinge of pain that shot through her ribs.

Darcy was free.

And she was going home.

* * *

 _October 1, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

"If I'm ever crammed in a quinjet with Barnes again, please shoot me," Tony snarked, rolling his shoulders as he fought his way out of the jet first. He was the only one that knew that Darcy was back at the tower, thanks to JARVIS. And he was trying extremely hard not to let the cat out of the bag to her super soldier counterparts.

Barnes scoffed. "Likewise, tin man."

"Both of you shut it," Rogers barked, shouldering his shield easily. "Clint, see if you can pick anything up on Darcy's tracker, Nat look to see if there's been any move on Pierce. I'm going to grab a shower and then check out some HYDRA intel that came through early this morning."

Tony gave a half-hearted wave and got himself in the tower, up the elevator, and into his penthouse as quick as possible without giving anything away.

And there she was, curled up in the spare room – _read: her own wing_ – that he'd gifted her. There was a black bag stuffed to overflowing near the door and a haphazard stack of files that looked like they had been read through more times than could be counted.

He didn't really linger near the door. He gave JARVIS a small order for tea and made his way to her bed, taking a seat next to her. His hand stroked back her messy curls, putting her beautiful face on display. Normally, there wasn't a chance that he could really compare their similarities without being under a microscope – he was sure that Pepper thought that he was trying to get in her pants by the amount of times that she caught him staring.

They had the same nose, the same cluster of freckles beneath their left ears. Her lips were more plush and plump than his were, but they had the same color hair, albeit her curls were something of beauty.

Darcy moaned softly and turned into his touch. "Mmm, Tony?"

"Hey, sweetheart," he said softly, tucking a curl behind her ear. "How're you feeling? Did you have medical look you over?"

She nodded, lightly tracing the stitches that were almost dissolved in her cheek. "They gave me fluids and stitched me up. Shoved my shoulder back in place, too." She sighed and moved onto her back, staring up at him with wide blue eyes. "I need to find Pierce, Tony. He's the final piece."

"He went underground. I'm getting Pepper on it, though. Romanoff's working, too. Don't worry, sweetheart, we'll get him."

She smiled sadly, looking up at him. "Why're you so nice to me, Tony? Why haven't you told Steve and Bucky that I'm here? You could've. I mean, I would've understood – "

"Darcy," he shook his head. "You're my little girl. I know it's crazy, but I ran the tests, did the blood work. You're my daughter. I don't know how or why, but you are. And I'd do anything for you, sweetheart. Your safety is my priority. Hell, I've already made you a damned suit."

She sat up, her hands shaking. "Tony…I really don't know how that's possible."

"And I don't really care. You're already written into my will, soul heir of Stark Industries and all that junk." Tony shrugged, leaning over and kissing her forehead. "Just let me know when you want the geriatric wonder twins to know you're here and I'll take care of everything else."

Darcy laid back down, too tired to think of semantics or anything that required too much brainpower. Her head was against his chest, feeling the arc reactor pulse beneath her cheek.

"Get some sleep, sweetheart," he murmured, wrapping his arm around her as he settled in with his tablet.

* * *

It was barely sunrise when she felt Clint climb into bed behind her. Darcy only knew it was him because of the way his breath smelt of coffee and the way he nuzzled his prickly face against the back of her neck. One arm wound its way around her waist and she snuggled back again him.

"How long?" She whispered, her voice scratchy from blubbering over Tony the night before. Was it really just a few hours ago?

"I knew as soon as you got here. Tony's shit at keeping a poker face. I _should_ use that to my advantage at some point." He was quiet for a beat before he sighed, disturbing the hair at the nape of her neck. "Medical omitted you from the records, too. Your stitches are healing nice, too." Clint brushed his fingers over her shoulder, exposed by the large shirt she'd shrugged on. One of his, he was sure.

Darcy shifted onto her back and looked up at familiar green eyes. "Has Talia dug up anything on Pierce?"

"Before getting into that, you know how kick-ass you were, right? It was hard as hell to get any footage on it, but Tony scrounged some stuff up. You…you were something, Darce."

She sighed. "I thought I took care of all the cameras."

"JARVIS has access to almost everything."

They were both quiet. Her eyes plastered to the ceiling and his on her. She was beautiful like this. Swollen lips and cheeks rosy from sleep. Her hair was tangled wildly and she had such a fierce look of determination in her eyes that at that moment he swore that he'd do anything to see her smiling again. To see her looking as carefree as when she used to hang their laundry from the almost threadbare line that he'd climbed a tree to tie.

The carnival was the best time in his life. He'd run away from his shitty home life to a woman that for all intents and purposes had been an angel. Was still an angel. Darcy had taken care of him and now it was his turn to take care of her. And, goddammit, he was going to do that if it killed him.

A soft snore interrupted his thoughts and he saw that she'd fallen asleep again. He shook his head and smiled, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead before he climbed out of bed.

He had a job to do.

* * *

 **What did you think?**

 **~Grace**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

 _October 5, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

When Darcy's emergency cell rang, she jumped up from Tony's couch so fast that she almost fell, barely managing to catch herself from falling face first into the doorframe.

"Lewis," she answered. Her mind was instantly on high alert.

" _I need you to come get me. I already sent you the coordinates. Get Nat and get a jet._ "

"Clint? What's wrong? Where are you?"

" _I don't have much time. You've got the coordinates._ "

She didn't hesitate. She'd managed to suit up when Clint was talking, barely zipping up her Kevlar as she holstered a gun, precariously holding the phone by squishing her shoulder against her ear.

"I'm on my way," she promised, forwarding the text he'd sent her to Natasha before barking out, "JARVIS! Tell Talia to meet me on Tony's private landing pad. Wheels up in five." She took a deep breath and softly said, "I love you, Clint. Hold on for me, okay?"

There was a ragged sigh on the other side of the line and her gut clenched. " _I'm waitin', Darce._ "

The line went dead and Darcy propelled into action. She grabbed the pistols she kept stashed in the penthouse and made her way to the landing pad, not at all surprised to see Natasha already climbing into the jet.

" _Myshka_ ," she nodded, flipping on the jet and closing up the door as soon as Darcy walked in. "I assume this is important and not just a social call?"

The brunette's mouth was set in a hard line. "Clint called. He went AWOL. I sent you the coordinates that he sent to me – " she stumbled when Natasha took off, not wasting time after Clint's name slipped out of her mouth. "How far out are we?"

"Fifteen if I fly safe, seven if I – "

"Go as fast as you can," Darcy said instantly. "Do you know where the coordinates – "

"It's SHIELD, _myshka_. He's stuck at SHIELD and something's wrong." The redhead shook her head. "We haven't been checking in with Coulson because of…trying to find you. How long have you been back?"

She looked down guiltily. "A few days. I planned on going after Pierce once I had time to regroup. I didn't want anyone to worry – "

"But Clint knew you were at the tower."

It wasn't a question and Darcy knew it didn't need answering.

"You know how close we are, Talia. He figured it out on his own."

The other woman nodded. "Get ready for landing. It looks messy down there and we might need backup."

Darcy pinched the bridge of her nose. "Call them. My priority is Clint. I'm going in to pull him out. Call the boys, leave Bruce out if you can, though. He's sciencing pretty hard right now and I don't want to pull him if we don't have to."

Natasha's reply was drowned out from the sound of blood rushing through her ears. As soon as the jet touched down, Darcy ran out, pistol in hand.

SHIELD Headquarters looked like a warzone. Bodies were strewn across the landing pad and blood covered nearly every surface as she made her way inside.

"It's too quiet," Natasha said, catching up to her and holding her pistol up. "It looks like STRIKE was called in. But it shouldn't be this much of a bloodbath."

They wasted no time taking the elevator from the landing pad on the roof to the lower floors, both taking a mental minute to make sure that all of their weapons were easily acceptable. Darcy was nervous, but _Sirena_ was refusing to let the fear sink in. She had a mission that she had to complete.

"Send Rogers to SHIELD with Stark. Keep Barnes up high. Give him a rifle," Natasha said to her com as she cocked her gun. She paused and rolled her eyes. "Stark, I have her. _No_ , Rogers, everything's fine. Recover Barton at all costs."

The brunette's com was hanging out of her ear. Listening to all of them bicker would merely upset the resident Russian inside her that was trying to size up the situation.

" _Myshka_ …" Natasha muted her com and placed her hand on Darcy's arm. "I don't know what kind of condition Clint will be in. I need your head in the game – "

"It's always in the game, Natalia. _I_ will recover Clint. And I will kill anyone who gets in my way."

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Darcy bolted and left the redhead with a headache blooming behind her eyes. Un-muting her com, she sighed, "Lewis is rogue. Approach with caution. Stark, let medical know to be expecting Barton in, hm, about fifteen minutes."

" _Did you already find him?_ " Stark asked through the com.

"No – "

" _A little self-confident, aren't you_?"

She smiled, unholstering her other pistol. "Lewis is on the warpath. Anything between her and Barton will be cleared in a matter of minutes."

* * *

 _Bang bang bang!_

The kick of her gun reverberated through Darcy's bones as she took down three targets. It couldn't have been more than five minutes since she left Natasha's side, but she'd already taken out more agents – STRIKE, mind you – than she could count. _Sirena_ was at the forefront of her mind, guiding her moves and nudging her in the right directions to find Clint.

 _Clint_.

Her heart ached at what might be happening to him. Why the fuck would he try to infiltrate SHIELD? He had a nifty little ID card that would let him in whenever he wanted.

She heard the telltale buzz of the com near her ear and she knew that they were trying to get her attention, but she couldn't let them pull her out right now.

A bullet whizzed passed her and she flipped around, firing a single shot and hearing her opponent's body hit the floor.

"Get down and stay down! Your little girlfriend is coming, isn't she? What is she expecting _Agent Barton_? An easy in and out? That she'll get you out of here alive?"

Darcy's blood boiled at the sound of the man's voice, a sound that was so familiar. Normally, it was belittling her or demanding she obey commands. It was a sound that used to strike compliance through her veins and make her cringe.

But she wasn't _Sirena_. Not anymore.

She was Darcy fucking Lewis and he had no control over her.

* * *

 _Clint blinked lazily, his green eyes focusing on the worn ceiling of the trailer he and Darcy called home. Sitting up, he looked out the window and could see her hanging their clothing up on the line and, if he listened hard enough, he could hear her humming._

 _But something wasn't quite right._

 _He wasn't seventeen anymore. He didn't perform in a traveling circus. This wasn't_ his _Darcy._

 _"Calm down, son."_

 _Clint's head whipped to the sound, noting a man about his age – his_ current _age – wearing a striped button down and ridiculous red suspenders. He had a crooked smile on his face and Clint felt like he knew him._

 _"Who are you?"_

 _"Name's Sean, but near ery'one calls me Spot," he answered, holding out his hand after he stood from Darcy's small chair. Clint stared at it for a moment before he pulled it back with a shrug. "Wonderin' what's goin' on?"_

 _"No offense, but this isn't my life. Anymore," he added hastily. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sighed. "Did I die? Is that what this is?"_

 _Spot scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Not exactly. You're kinda in th' in-between. Not alive, not dead. Our girl out there is doin' ery'thing she can to keep ya alive, though."_

 _Clint remembered breaking into the lower levels of SHIELD and starting an all-out panic that resulted in STRIKE being called in and revealing themselves to truly be HYDRA. And that's when he managed to find Pierce. Pierce…_

 _"Ya got shot up real good. Blood ery'where," the other man said conversationally, watching Darcy sway through the open window. "I thought that when I died, there was nothin', but I was wrong. I gotta see all the shit she went through. Saw how ya took care of 'er when she couldn't take care of herself."_

 _It all clicked for Clint. He was talking to_ Spot _. Darcy's_ brother _._

 _"Steve 'n' Bucky were good for her, y'know? Balanced out all that hot air that was in her head. But ya were real good for her, too. She slowed down with ya, learned that there was more than fightin' 'n' hidin'."_

 _He nodded. Darcy had told him that she was forced to slow when she was with him, but hearing it from someone else made it more real somehow._

 _"She made a good choice takin' ya in, son. She'd always been a mother hen and I think she needed ya when ya came along. Ya helped her ground herself."_

 _Clint swallowed hard. "Why am I here?"_

 _Spot shifted his eyes from the window and met concerned green. "I thought this might be a better view than th' one goin' on upstairs, so to speak. It's not pretty, son."_

 _"Is she okay?"_

 _"She took down that big motherfucker and now she's workin' on gettin' ya breathin' again."_

 _"Did she get my – "_

 _"She's got that bag ya were carryin'."_

 _Clint heaved a sigh of relief. He needed that bag. Needed what was_ in _that bag._

 _"So, why'd you get stuck guarding the makeshift afterlife of a middle-aged archer?"_

 _Spot cracked a smile. "That girl out there meant ery'thing t' me. Didn't even get married even though my words were faded 'cause I held out hope that she'd come home eventually." He sighed. "But ya were a different story. She loved ya as much as she loved me. I pushed her away. And ya two…ya were both at diff'rent points when ya were interested in each other. But ya don't wear her words. Your girl, th' one that wears your words, she's waitin' for ya. That's why I'm here, y'know. One broken-hearted sap to th' other. Darcy's got her boys now. You're gonna get your girl soon."_

 _"I'm so in love with her," Clint groaned, his eyes focusing on her small form and wishing that she was underneath him, panting his name. "I'm not gonna love anyone else like I love her."_

 _"That's what I said, too. And I stuck by it. Take it from an old sumbitch that knows a thing or two. Ya don't want to die alone in a nursin' home, son – "_

 _"She came to you – "_

 _"And she shouldn't have had t'. The point is, I should o' had kids or a wife or somethin' t' take care o' that part. But I didn't. I died the day I heard she was killed and I never came back from it. Don't let that be ya, son."_

 _"I'll always put her first."_

 _Spot smirked, a downright mischievous look. "Why else do ya think I'm lettin' ya live?"_

* * *

" _Myshka_! Stop compressions, it's been almost five minutes!"

Darcy shook her head, the tears filling her eyes clouding her vision. She did not come this fare to have her best friend die in her arms. From what she could tell, his lung was punctured, he took three bullets to the chest, and, judging from the blood pooling behind his head, a deep laceration and a concussion. When she'd reached him, he held her cheek in his hand before closing his eyes.

It wasn't until after she took down Pierce that she realized that he was no longer breathing.

"Where's Stark?" She growled, slightly out of breath as she fought back a cringe; a rib had cracked under her ministrations.

Natasha swallowed. "Trying to get clearance down here. SHIELD is making a fuss now – where are you going?"

The brunette had stood, slinging Clint's beat up bug out bag over her shoulder before doing the same with the man. She huffed a bit under his weight – she wasn't nearly as strength enhanced as her male counterparts – but she could handle it.

"If they can't get to us, I'm going to them." She shifted, fitting her com back in her ear. "Stark, make sure the jet's on standby. Wheels up as soon as I get there."

" _Lewis, where the hell are you? Rogers and Barnes have been traipsing around downstairs for the past ten minutes –_ "

"They don't have the clearance to get down as far as we are. I'll be up – "

" _Honey? We're coming. The elevator –_ "

"On my way," she replied shortly, cutting the com. Natasha followed her dutifully, gun in hand incase any unfriendlies showed up again. But Darcy was confident in her _search and destroy_ mindset that they were all clear.

Every step had her anxiety climbing.

It was a blur when they met up with Steve and Bucky in the elevator. She audibly growled at Steve when he offered to take Clint and Bucky knew better to even offer since his mind was still pretty deep in his Russian mindset as well.

"Please don't die," she whispered as the quinjet took off. She could feel her soldiers hovering behind her as she kept up compressions. Tony was piloting, arguing with Natasha that the jet could and _would_ go faster.

Medical was on standby as soon as they landed, wheeling Clint away on a gurney as she rushed to follow them. Fingers wrapped their way around her forearm and caught her.

"Darcy, honey – "

"Steve, please," she managed to ground out.

Bucky sidled up behind her and she was effectively sandwiched. And not going anywhere.

"Baby, we haven't seen you in _months_. We were worried sick – "

Darcy shook her head violently. "I'll come back, I promise. But Clint…I can't lose him. I can't! I have to…"

They let her go, watching as she ran into the tower and left them both in the dust.

"She already lost Spot, Steve. We can't force too much on her at once."

Steve rubbed the back of his neck and nodded. "I know. I just…I feel like we're losing her, Buck."

"She'll always come home. You know that."

* * *

Thirty-seven stitches, one two-hour surgery, and six IV bags later, and Darcy was curled up in the hospital bed next to Clint. She snapped at anyone that tried to come in that didn't have an MD after their name and listening avidly to everything that was happening around her.

Steve and Bucky had left food and a change of clothes with a nurse and she had put them on, not bothering to go into the adjoining bathroom. She regretted being so harsh with them. She had blipped out of their lives to go fight some big bad – well, now Steve knew how she felt when he left on a mission. It wasn't the same, but she didn't care.

She hummed softly, brushing back the blood-soaked hair from his face. God, how she loved him. She was so proud of him, proud of the man he'd become in her absence.

"Mmm. You always had the most beautiful voice."

She pulled back and looked down, letting out a happy sigh when she saw his tired green eyes staring back at her. "You scared the shit out of me."

He laughed and winced, holding his side. "Jesus. I feel like my chest is collapsing."

"That's what'll happen when someone spends nearly twenty minutes doing chest compressions." She gave a one-shouldered shrug. "The doctors told me to stop. Natasha told me to stop. Everyone did, really. I mean, your brain was without oxygen for almost twenty minutes. I…someone was looking out for you."

Clint pulled her down and kissed her forehead. "I had you, Darce."

"Thank goodness."

He settled back down and closed his eyes. "By the way, SHIELD is HYDRA. Might wanna get Fury or someone on that."

* * *

Darcy was normally really good at avoiding things. Like so good that it was suspicious. Honestly, she just didn't want to deal with the backlash of her actions from her soldiers – Clint included.

Bucky had been more that standoffish since their confrontation. She'd apologized profusely for taking off without warning and that had _not_ gone over well.

 _"Bucky, please! I'm sorry!"_

 _"Do you think that just 'cause you apologize that it's gonna make everything better?" He snapped, slamming his left hand down on the dining room table hard. "We were worried sick! HYDRA isn't a joke – "_

 _"You think I don't know that?" She screeched back. She was shaking with rage. "They had me, too, James Buchanan Barnes! I_ needed _this! I needed to end them! And now that SHIELD has went ass up, we have bigger fish to fry!"_

 _Steve had been remarkably quiet during the little tirade, sitting at the kitchen bar and peering at them curiously. They'd always argued, but normally it ended up with one of them on their backs. If he'd learned one thing since waking up, it was that Darcy had clung to modern times like a life preserve and she did_ not _take well to getting ordered around._

 _"Buck, she did what she had to do," Steve sighed, running his hand through his blond hair as he squeezed his coffee mug to keep from lashing out. "Just like you shoved Pierce in that damned chair before you destroyed it."_

 _Darcy gaped like a fish as the brunet shot a death glare at his best friend. "You're kidding," she finally managed to say. "Pierce was taken into custody – "_

 _"By SHIELD – "_

 _"_ HYDRA _," Bucky growled. "I couldn't let him slip through the cracks again. He knows our triggers, he could've – "_

 _The petite woman held up her hand, silencing the words that were tumbling out of his mouth. So, Pierce_ wasn't _in custody. He wasn't an issue anymore. Bucky killed him to protect them. To protect_ her _. She was used to him being protective, but killing for her…_

 _Hadn't she done the same for Clint? She dismantled SHIELD to find him, to bring him home. Maybe Russia still lingered in her veins a little too much._

 _"I can't fault you for what you did," she whispered, "I just wish I would've had the opportunity to do it."_

 _"Baby – "_

 _"I'm sorry I left. I'm sorry I didn't tell either of you face to face. But I did it for_ us _. So we could have a somewhat normal life without the threat of being taken or wiped." She shook her head, wiping away the tears that had gathered underneath her eyes. "I'd do anything to turn back time and be back in Brooklyn with my guys, but the here and now needs us, too. We're not done yet."_

Since everything, she'd been dividing her time between the penthouse and Clint's hospital room. If she was being honest with herself, she was running ragged. She couldn't remember the last time she slept. Or ate. On the morning she'd argued with the boys, she'd made breakfast, but she lost her appetite.

Clint periodically found reasons to span his hands around her waist, clicking his tongue when he found it too small or the circles underneath her eyes too dark. He made comments about how she was drowning in her clothes. It was a battle she wasn't winning.

Natasha noticed when they sparred, but didn't say anything. Although it was hard to do when the brunette changed her shirt in the locker room and every single rib was visible under taunt skin.

Tony tried to tempt her with expensive food and promised delivery, but Darcy just didn't want anything.

When the first call to assemble went out, Darcy had kissed both of her boys fiercely – the first contact in practically weeks. It was difficult letting them go. Not knowing if they'd come back was _harder_.

Since then, she'd spent time with Clint – who was still off-duty until further notice and refused to let her go on a mission without him – and they'd had a marathon of musicals in the common room of the tower. A whole week of singing.

The boys had gone dark, leaving her to her own devices, which didn't bode well for the archer if the prank war they'd started meant anything. It was only a matter of time before they'd decided to work together and fill Tony's suits with glitter. Craft glitter. The kind that stuck to _everything_.

"Darce, did you grab my bag from SHIELD?"

The girl in question looked up with furrowed brows. "Uh, yeah. I left it in Bruce's lab. He wanted to make sure it was safe." Her eyes flickered back down to her tablet, swiping through the news and trying to see anything out of the ordinary.

Mainly something that said the Avengers were fucking shit up somewhere.

"Oh, good," he sighed, wiggling around on the couch and accidentally kicking over the bowl of popcorn he'd been trying to reach for on the coffee table. "Fuck me."

"I tried. You turned me down," Darcy deadpanned. A smile tugged at the corner of her red lips as he gaped. "Calm down, soldier. I was kidding."

Silence flittered between them before he asked, "Bruce is still here, isn't he?" At her nod, he continued, "Probably a good thing. Big Green isn't exactly stealthy."

Bucky had found the last unknown HYDRA base and she'd willingly let them go, knowing how important it was for him. She'd been able to burn away her past and it was his turn now.

Clint pulled her from her thought as he ambled to his feet. "You hungry?"

"No, I'm okay."

He glared at her. "We're gonna talk about your eating habits soon. I'm gonna go talk to Bruce."

"I'm not pausing _RENT_ for you."

"Wouldn't dream of it, sweetheart."

* * *

"So, you discovered my secret."

Bruce looked up from the bright blue vial that was in his hand. "Clint? Do you know what this is?"

"Why do you think I risked my life to get it?" The archer snarked, engaging JARVIS' privacy protocols in sign language. "Pierce was hiding it. I have a chance to let her have a normal life. She deserves that much."

"She should really run it by Steve and – "

"No," he interrupted immediately. "It's Darcy's choice. They don't get a say in it."

Bruce nodded. "I have to test it more thoroughly. I can use her blood samples she has on file. Just…don't say anything until we know what will happen."

"You got it."

* * *

 **Be sure to leave a review!**

 **~Grace**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

 _November 11, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

Darcy had expected their reunion to be more climatic than it actually was. Meeting them on the landing pad was…disappointing to say the least.

Natasha and Tony had clucked at her about her body before her boys had simply looked at her and hauled her away to Steve's apartment. It's not like she was capable of fighting them off; she was too _tired_.

"Honey…when was the last time you ate something?"

And now she was being interrogated. Two soldiers in front of her while she was sitting on the couch with her knees tucked up to her chest and a chunky jumper covering her almost completely.

"I had popcorn this morning with Clint," she answered, cocking her head to the side as she thought about it. "The good kind. Smothered in butter."

Bucky crouched down in front of her and gently grabbed her chin, tilting her face from side to side. "You've lost weight."

That was one of the best things about the other brunet of their threesome. He never pulled punches, never gave her a reason to doubt him. He was always straight up and honest.

"It's not a bad thing," she nodded.

He sighed and pressed his lips against her forehead before he stood up. She was pulled up after him and he stripped off her sweater. It was hard ignoring Steve's sharp intake of breath, but Darcy managed to keep her chin held high.

After she'd taken a shower that morning, she'd seen the way her body had changed. Seen the way her waist had drastically narrowed and her hips slimmed. Her chest was still there, but not as full as usual. It was weird seeing her body that way when she'd been used to it for a certain way for years and years.

"We were gone too long," Steve said quietly, his hands scrubbing against the lower part of his face. It wasn't long until his fingers brushed against her ribs, her breath catching at the tenderness of it. "We shouldn't have left you alone for so long."

Darcy instantly protested. "I wasn't alone – "

"Barton doesn't count."

She glared at him before relenting with a shrug of her shoulders. Clint never really pushed her. At most, he'd yell at her or give her a stern lecture, but he was all bark and no bite. Not like Bucky at all.

Maybe that's why she preferred Steve sometimes. She didn't hesitate curling into him and resting her head against his broad chest. His arms encircled her immediately, even if it was more gentle.

"What do you need, honey?" He whispered against her hair.

It didn't take her long to collapse into the puddle of tears that she'd been waiting to become since they'd left.

They were safe.

Nothing was going to hurt them now.

* * *

 _November 12, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

Struggling internally was something Bruce Banner was well versed in. Concealing it, working through it. He could handle it. However, he could _not_ handle holding the maybe-cure to Darcy's aging abilities. For all intents and purposes, the serum Clint had recovered from SHIELD was able to restore normal aging properties to the blood he'd kept on file. Having it interact with a live host would have to be another experiment.

Clint had said not to tell Steve, but he felt compelled to. Especially after all they'd been through.

That's how he found himself standing outside the blond's door at four in the morning, hoping to catch him before his morning run.

The door opened and closed in quick succession with Steve looking puzzled. "Bruce? It's – "

"Early, I know. I…I have a few things I want to go over about the serum."

The blond blinked. "Do you need Darcy and Bucky, too?"

"This is, ah, actually about Darcy. I'd prefer she didn't know just yet," he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "When you're done, would you meet me in my lab?"

An hour passed before the duo was huddled around a lab table, samples spread around them.

"You're saying that Barton got the cure?" Steve asked sourly.

There was ice in Bruce's gaze when he shot a glare at the blond. "Clint risked his _life_ to get it. He died for her, Steve. Give him some credit."

"I just – "

"Everyone can see how much they mean to each other," the doctor said gruffly. A vein in his neck was turning a little green and he took a step back. "You're not the only one that cares about Darcy. Maybe I should have told her first. I thought I was doing you a favor."

The blond looked down, properly chastened. "Thank you for telling me. Are…when are you going to tell Darcy?"

"When I know it'll work."

* * *

 _November 13, 2012 – Manhattan New, York – Central Park_

"He wrote you into his will, you know."

Strolling through Central Park with Pepper Potts was not at the top of Darcy's to-do list. When she'd rolled out of bed in the penthouse and was rifling through the kitchen for something edible when someone had delicately cleared their throat behind her.

 _"You must be Darcy," a woman with straight red hair had said. She was dressed impeccably in a in a designer pantsuit and it made Darcy feel like something that had crawled out of a swamp._

 _"That's me," she acknowledged lamely, grabbing one of the poptarts that Tony had stashed for her._

 _"Pepper Potts," the woman said, holding out her hand._

 _The brunette stared dumbly before she shook the other woman's hand awkwardly._

 _Pepper cocked her head. "How about we get to know each other? How does lunch sound?"_

They had _not_ gotten lunch. Darcy had settled on a very large, very caffeinated cup of coffee, while Pepper had a relatively small espresso.

It was intimidating finally meeting the woman that Tony had been pining after. Especially when she was scary efficient with handling anything the Avengers managed to throw at her.

"He made you sole beneficiary," Pepper continued, her expensive shoes clicking against the sidewalk. "Any idea why?"

"I'm awesome?"

"I used to think that it was because he was sleeping with you," she admitted, her brow furrowed. "But I've seen how you two are together and that's laughable. You're family, aren't you?"

Might as well go with the weird lie they'd been trying to convince themselves of.

"He's my dad."

Pepper froze. Her eyes widened slightly as she took Darcy in, lingering on her nose, her hair…

"Oh my."

"So…you're gonna be my stepmom?" Darcy asked, a smirk on her mouth. "I can dig it."

The redhead turned crimson. "I always wanted a daughter."

She squealed and threw her arms around the woman's lithe form, sighing happily when she hugged her back.

* * *

 _November 14, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

 _"I love you, Steven Grant Rogers. If I wind up pregnant, then I'll be one of the luckiest gals in Brooklyn. You're…you're my man, Stevie. You and Bucky are all mine and once I'm back from Russia, we're gonna get married and have all the babies ya both want."_

 _"Honey…" he swallowed noisily, his hands going to her hips and squeezing gently. "Babies?"_

 _Her hand cupped his cheek softly and she smiled. "Babies, Steve." Placing her hands on his, she moved them to her flat stomach. "I want your babies right here. Yours and Bucky's. I don't care what everyone else thinks; I want a family with ya both."_

 _His lips crashed down on hers and she squealed when his hands went around her waist and squeezed her butt roughly._

 _"I'm gonna give ya a houseful o' kids, honey," he promised raggedly when he tore his mouth away from hers. "A houseful o' 'em."_

Darcy woke up, blinking back tears. Her hands felt for the boys and her stomach clenched painfully realizing that they had left the night before and she was in the penthouse.

God, how she wanted a family. She remembered her pregnancy, remembered how she couldn't carry to term. But maybe she could be more careful. Maybe she could try without telling them. Maybe…

Small fingers probed the implant that she'd woken up with after Bucky arrived at the tower.

It would be easy to remove.

She wasn't even sure how she had managed to walk to the bathroom with one of Bucky's knives that she kept with her _just in case_.

It didn't register what she was doing until Tony was bursting through the door and ripping the blade from her hand.

"What the hell?" He demanded breathlessly as he grabbed a towel and forced it against her arm to staunch the blood flow. "What happened? Are you okay?"

She blinked away the haze that had settled over her eyes. Her arm _hurt_. "Tony?"

"Hey," he whispered, cradling her face in his hands when she started to shake. "You're okay, sweetheart. Everything's fine, okay? Let's go down to medical – "

"No, no, no," she mumbled repeatedly, shaking her head.

He cursed under his breath, but ended up stitching her skin back together with such focus that she wanted to squirm. The blood was washed away and four neat little stitches now decorated her skin.

Tony swept her into his arms when she started to sob, holding her close as she soaked his shirt. "Shhh…it's all right. Steve and Barnes will be back soon." Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say because she only cried harder.

It took almost an hour for her to cry herself out, but he thought he'd handled it quite well. When JARVIS had alerted him that she was in distress, he had half a mind to go in there in a suit, but he didn't. He'd cleaned her up and, hopefully, made her feel better.

Idly, he cleaned her bathroom, quietly putting in an order for new towels. He was almost done when something small on the tile caught his eye. Picking it up, he cringed when he realized what it was.

He'd have to have a talk with her soldiers.

* * *

 _November 20, 2012 – Unknown Location_

The quinjet was quiet. SHIELD – what was left of it, anyway – had called in a favor and they'd assembled appropriately. As it turned out, over a week had gone by without seeing any action before being sent home. It was a waste of time, but Barton had been itching to get back in the field. It had only been the four of them, four bodies that sat around in uncomfortable Kevlar, with an itching gas explosion that had left them all cranky.

"Two hours out, Barnes," Natasha called back from the front. "We're testing out Stark's new boosters."

Bucky sank down further in his seat, his eyes resting on Steve. "Have you her from her?" He asked gently, hoping the little hum from the engine would mark his voice from the others.

"Got a text to meet Tony when we land, but – "

"I'm goin' straight to our girl, he can wait."

Steve smiled. His best friend had always had a 'fuck everything' mentality when it came to Darcy.

"Have you heard anything from Banner?" The brunet asked after a beat of silence.

"Ah, not since we left. He hasn't tried to contact me," Steve said as he scratched the back of his neck. He was glad to be out of his suit.

He'd told Bucky about his meeting and regretted it nearly as fast.

 _"A serum? Steve, we gotta tell her!"_

 _Steve groaned, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him back. "Bruce doesn't know if it'll work yet. He doesn't want to get her hoped up if it doesn't work."_

 _Bucky glared at him. "You don't want to tell her?"_

 _"It's not that easy, Buck – "_

 _"It fuckin' is and you know it. She deserves to know. HYDRA took everything from us." A shuddering breath fought its way through his lips. "Hiding it from her is wrong."_

 _The blond huffed. "Bucky – "_

 _"You have until the end of the week to tell her. Otherwise, I will."_

They'd been called away before the end of the week came, so Bucky's threat didn't really stick.

"I'm gonna tell her, y'know."

 _Fuck_.

"Let's talk to Bruce first and go from there."

Bucky made a sound in the back of his throat.

In Brooklyn, it had always felt like it was Darcy and Bucky _with_ Steve. The two of them were as thick as thieves and maybe being together in Russia had made them closer, but he wasn't going to give his girl up that easily.

"I'm not the bad guy here, Buck. I'm protecting her. Just like you didn't want to tell her about Pierce and we didn't want to tell her about the miscarriage." Steve had a tight grip on his shield and a determined look on his face. "I'm not letting you take her. She's mine as much as yours."

Bucky tilted his head and observed Steve before he stood and tapped a button on the wall of the jet.

"Barnes?" Natasha called from the cockpit.

"Rogers has been compromised. We all have."

Barton popped his head up from where he was drooling on the couch. "Fuck. The gas?"

"Steve's body should have metabolized it faster than any of us," Natasha argued, making sure the partition went up to separate Steve from the rest of them.

Bucky shook his head. "Not if it was meant for him. Barton, you were aggressive over those damned dehydrated berries a few days ago."

"They were good!"

"But he makes a good point," the redhead said as she typed something in to the screen in front of her. "I'm making emergency arrangements. Medical should be able to accommodate us."

 _BAM!_

"Let me out!" Steve yelled, slamming his shield against the partition that was normally used to contain the Hulk. His blue eyes were rimmed with red and his chest was heaving.

Bucky twitched, feeling his own need creeping up on him. Whatever they'd been hit with must have been relatively harmless based on how the archer had reacted, but the serum would amplify that. Especially in Steve's case.

All he could think about was getting to Darcy. Leaving his mark on her skin. Making her scream beneath him.

"Romanoff, make sure they have three rooms set up."

Clint's eyes widened. " _Shit_."

* * *

"Bad news, short stack," Tony started as he popped a blueberry into his mouth. "Your geriatric wonder twins were hit by some sort of gas – sit _down_. They're in medical under observation."

Darcy swallowed and sat back down. "Clint? Talia?"

"Romanoff's not showing any signs and it's already worked its way through bird brain's system."

She scowled at the name, but ignored it. "What were the results?"

"Aggression. Especially when it came to _you_."

"Me?" Came the resulting squeak.

"Fighting over you like a shiny new toy."

She'd never noticed any sort of jealously between her boys. She'd kissed Steve first, gave her virginity to him, but Bucky was always right behind. Letting her go at her own pace. She didn't have a favorite. Didn't choose one over the other. They were each a part of her and had been since she was a little girl. A _lifetime_ ago…

"Get out of your own head, Lewis-Stark," Tony said, kicking her shoes over to her. "Go annoy Barton a little."

"I'm hyphenating?" She asked bemusedly.

"Haven't decided. It'll be a while until all the paperwork goes through."

* * *

The Hulk containment unit was not meant to contain two super soldiers. Especially when there was a wall between them.

They each stalked up and down the way, eyeing each other viciously. Occasionally, they'd spit insults at each other that would have them trying to fight their way through the glass. And rip the other's head off.

It had taken Bucky's system about three hours to be affected after Steve, but once it happened, it was downright _malicious_.

 _Bucky stumbled through as the door closed behind him, turning around to snap at the archer that had shoved him into the same room he'd spent his first night at the tower in. Steve was there, too, separated by a wall of Stark-grade glass._

 _A small click told him that the door was locked and Barton grinned. "I'm gonna go find your girl and fill her in – "_

 _"You stay away from Darcy!" Steve yelled, slamming his fists against the glass uselessly._

 _Barton held up his hands. "Scout's honor, Cap." He disappeared before the blond could reply._

 _"He's gonna be touchin' our girl," Bucky said gruffly._

 _"_ My _girl."_

 _"She's as much mine as she is yours."_

 _Steve took three long strides and he was right against the glass, his face twisted into a snarl as he looked down at the brunet. "Don't think that you have some sort of claim to her. I'm the only one that made it through everything in one piece – "_

 _"You were frozen in the goddamn ocean!"_

 _" – and I can offer her the most! Stability – "_

 _"You're Captain fuckin' America!"_

 _" – and a family! I can get her pregnant and have all the kids she wants!"_

 _Bucky bit his tongue so hard he was sure he drew blood. "She miscarried both of our children. That cure that Banner has brewing in his lab is the only answer to her gettin' the life she's always wanted. The house, the wedding, the_ babies _– "_

 _"We don't even know if you're sterile!"_

 _It has been something that Bucky was worried about. That somehow HYDRA had took away his future like they'd done to Natasha. But he didn't think they'd do that. Not when a child with_ Sirena _could have been so beneficial…_

 _"I'm gonna knock her up, Rogers. And when I do, you're gonna look damned stupid to our pretty little dame."_

 _Steve scoffed at him. "I'd like to see you be man enough."_

And that was just the beginning. Trading insults and snarling that trussed up cats that made JARVIS restrict all viewing channels for the room. Even the AI knew that both men would be ashamed after they came out of it.

"Just wait, Rogers," Bucky said, finally taking a seat against the smooth glass. "She'll be pregnant within the month.

Steve laughed mirthlessly. "Not if I get there first."

* * *

 **Be sure to leave a review!**

 **~Grace**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

 _November 24, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

Turkey, cranberry sauce, gravy, stuffing, greenbean casserole. It was like the holidays threw up in her kitchen and, if she was being honest, she felt like _she_ was going to throw up, too.

Arms wound around her waist from behind and she felt lips against her neck. "Everything smells great, baby," Bucky breathed.

She smiled and let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. "Thank you."

It had been a rough few days, with the territorial pissing match that had been going on between the boys and Darcy honestly wanted to forget all about it. Once they'd been cleared to leave medical, they'd practically dragged her from the penthouse and into Steve's apartment.

 _"Steve!" She squealed when he literally tore off her shirt. Bucky was right behind him, tugging down her leggings and panties in one swoop and leaving her bare for them._

 _"Missed you," the blond managed to get out before he mouthed at her heavy breasts. Head thrown back, she whimpered when she felt the scruff of Bucky's beard brushing against her thighs, the slick of his tongue slipping around her bud._

 _Tugging at his hair, Bucky swept her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom, a disgruntled Steve trailing behind. As soon as her back hit the mattress, Steve started stripping and the brunet buried his face between her thighs until she was screaming out beneath him._

 _There was a thump before Steve was pulling her thighs over his own and sheathing himself inside her in one thrust that left her whimpering from the remnants of her orgasm. Her nails dug themselves into his shoulders, stuck between wanting to push him away and pull her closer._

 _"Can you come again, honey?" He panted. Blue eyes blown wide and his gaze focused on her that nearly made her whine under his determined strokes._

 _"Fuckin' punk," Bucky muttered as his hand slunk across her hips and stroked at her clit once more. "Didn't have to push me off th' fuckin' bed."_

 _The chide on the tip of her tongue disappeared when Steve struck a particularly sensitive spot inside her and, coupled with Bucky's fingers, she promptly arched her hips off of the bed and came with such a rush that it left them both panting. The blond followed quickly after her, cursing a blue streak that had even_ her _blushing as he filled her._

 _Her brain was numb with pleasure as Steve was unceremoniously shoved off the bed only to be replaced by Bucky. Strong hands cradled her face and he stared at her adoringly. "You're so beautiful, Darcy," he whispered, his lips capturing hers as he slipped a couple fingers inside of her, slyly trying to get the blond's seed out of her before replacing his fingers with his cock and gently pushing inside._

 _Her breath caught in her throat. "Bucky, ah – "_

 _He normally wasn't so gentle with her, always trying to pull her orgasms from her so she felt like she was the most important girl in the world, but_ someone _had to be gentle with her tonight._

 _Bucky ignored Steve when he tried to touch their girl, focusing instead on making her come apart beneath him. A steady push and pull had her careening off the small cliff she'd been balancing on, a scream of his name torn from her lips as he buried himself so deep inside her that he wasn't sure where he ended and she began._

 _Darcy was so delirious with pleasure that she hummed happily when she felt the wet heat inside her, her arms wrapped around his sweaty body and held him close. She drifted, flipped onto her side with Bucky still flush against her as Steve snuggled against her back, his breath on her neck as Bucky kissed the top of her head._

 _They murmured their words of love that she echoed back sleepily. She still wasn't sure how she managed to fall asleep with Bucky's cock still buried inside her._

"What are you thinking about?" He whispered.

Darcy smirked. "About how it would feel if you swiped all this food off the counter and bent me over."

"God _damm_ it," he grunted, the marble of the counter cracking under his fist as he gritted his teeth.

Thanksgiving was coming late this year because of all the issues they'd had, but it was nice having everyone together in the tower, sharing food and memories. The holiday was never a big thing when she was younger, only because the food was so expensive to prepare, but they'd always managed to scrape by. She was sure that her boys never starved.

"Keep it in your pants, Buck," Steve said quietly as he appeared beside her and picked up the gravy boat. "We'll teach her a lesson when we get back to our room."

If anything, they'd become more comfortable with sharing her despite the first night. It was akin to worship how they took their time with her and made her see stars at almost every opportunity they had.

She turned in his arms and placed a soft kiss to his lips before pulling the blond by the shirt and giving him the filthiest kiss she could muster.

"C'mon, boys. Everyone needs some turkey."

"Gobble 'til you wobble!" Natasha called from the dining room and a giggle bubbled out of her lips before she could stop it.

* * *

 _December 23, 2012 – Brooklyn, New York_

"What is this? Country? Should I have brought boots?" Tony grossed as he looked around what was considered a farm. Well, what could even be considered as a farm since it was still pretty close to the city.

There was a small house, with peeling yellow paint and a chipped white picket fence surrounding it. Groves of flowers decorated nearly everything and there was a small metal gate that gave the illusion of intimacy to the house.

Steve and Bucky had debated the little house for the better part of a week before they each broke and spoilt each other's fun.

 _"I'm think I'm gonna buy it," Steve had said, setting down the newspaper that they'd found the property in._

 _The brunet looked up from his coffee cup. "Oh, yeah?"_

 _"Yeah. I think she'll love it – "_

 _"I called yesterday; it already sold."_

 _Steve visibly wilted, his expression turning down so quickly that it was hard to tell that he'd just been excited. "Oh."_

 _"Yeah," Bucky said, "Might wanna start packin', punk. I gotta sign the papers – "_

 _"Jerk."_

And then Darcy was sick and Bucky had to stay home to look after her while he dragged Tony along to…he wasn't sure what.

"It's a house," Steve replied, looking at the peeling paint with an artist's eye. "It needs some fixing up, but it has good bones."

Tony nodded and opened the little gate, making his way to the front door. As soon as the blond unlocked it, they were pushing inside and surveying the small area. Tablet in hand, Tony took measurements and pictures, designing layouts that would most fit their area.

Three bedrooms, albeit _small_. A kitchen with a breakfast nook, no formal dining room. One family room that looked out at what would only be considered a garden. Two bathrooms including the master.

It was cozy – read _cramped_ – in Tony's opinion.

"So, what d'you want to do with this, Rogers? You asking for my little girl's hand?"

Steve rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "The thought did cross my mind. But she's still not your daughter, Tony."

He waved his hand in dismissal. "Semantics. Blood of my blood." He looked around a little bit more before he asked, "You've already bought it, haven't you?"

"Bucky did."

"Of course. This is more of a…formality? Inviting me here?"

"I want to take care of her," Steve said honestly. "I promised her a house and a family and this just fell into our laps. It's been a long time since I've been able to keep a promise to her."

Tony nodded before a grin broke across his face. "Barnes asked me this morning. I'll give you the same talk I gave him; hurt my little girl and no one will find either of your bodies. Are we clear?"

Steve blinked. _That little shit_. "Crystal."

* * *

After leaving Steve at the dilapidated house, Tony had made his way to the bank. More importantly, his father's safety deposit box – not really a box, but a room – that he hoped housed a ring that he could give to the two soldiers to give to Darcy.

He was sentimental like that.

Sifting through the stacks of papers and small boxes, he'd thought that he'd find something in his mother's things that had been set aside for him, but nothing caught his eye. That is, until a small metal box shown brightly from the other side of the room. His fingers wiped the nameplate and he cocked his head.

 _Elizabeth Stark_.

That was his grandmother.

Shrugging, he opened the large box and found bundles of envelopes tied together neatly and a few smaller boxes littered inside. The paper was old with age and he smirked.

"Jackpot."

Curiosity getting the best of him, he carefully untied the first stack of letters and opened the top on, a small photo falling out when he did. Picking it up, he held onto it, as his eyes scanned the paper.

 _My dearest Darcy,_

 _Words cannot describe how I wish to hold you in my arms. It has been an entire month since I left you and I regret every moment of it. Sometimes, when your father is away and your brother is with the nanny, I stop by that little orphanage just so I can hold you._

 _They tell me that you're doing well, that you'll be adopted before I can blink. Heaven knows I want you home where you belong, but your father will never agree._

 _My only solace is knowing that you're going to grow up and I will find you. I will never stop looking for you._

 _All my love,_

 _Your mother, Elizabeth_

Tony felt his throat tighten. His father had a sister. A sister named _Darcy_.

His little girl wasn't his little girl at all.

But it didn't matter.

Glancing down at the picture, he saw his grandmother holding a small child in what appeared to be a rundown, stone building. _The orphanage_.

His grandmother had died of pneumonia in January of 1930, and, sure enough, the last letter was dated the day after Christmas in 1929. She never had a chance to find her daughter, Tony's _aunt_. Darcy had lived her entire life with surrogate families that helped her. That _loved_ her.

And he'd be damned if anything changed that.

Putting the lid back on the box, he locked up the room and headed back to the tower.

* * *

 _December 25, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

"Get up, short stack. And…not so short stacks. Barton's banging on the door to get this Christmas show on the road."

Darcy groaned and burrowed herself deeper into Steve's side, kicking her foot out from under the covers and accidently hitting Bucky.

"Fucking hell," he griped, rubbing at his shin. "Can you not?"

She whined. "I'm sick, remember? Oh fuck – "

Darcy shot out of bed like a bullet and promptly found herself in the bathroom, retching her guts up.

Steve got up to go after her and Bucky fell back against the pillows, pulling the blanket over his head.

"Should probably take her down to medical at some point," Tony said, still standing in the doorway. "Might have the flu."

The brunet grumbled in agreement as the door closed.

"Steve," she whined, her voice filtering into the room. "I don't feel good."

"What hurts, honey?"

"My stomach and my – "

Bucky sighed and got up, filling a glass with water from the sink and handing his blond counterpart a hair tie to control their girl's curls.

She sat back and wiped her mouth with the towel Steve had offered before moaning, "I'm dying."

"You're _not_ dying," he disputed instantly. "You have the flu."

"That's what you get for not getting a flu shot," Bucky cut in, smirking as she angrily grabbed the glass from him and sloshed half of it down her front.

"Shut your mouth," she griped halfheartedly.

* * *

 _December 29, 2012 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

"You found a what now?"

Bruce grimaced and handed a file to Tony. He knew the man would be smart enough to decipher what the results meant.

"It's a cure," Tony stated, flipping through a few of the pages, lingering on the DNA that looked so similar. "It's a cure for Darcy. And it's tested? It'll kick start her back into aging?"

"It _should_ ," the doctor stressed, pointing out a few flaws in the data. "I compared it to Steve and Bucky's strains of serum when I asked them for samples and this seems to be the missing link. If she takes it, it _should_ restart her biological clock and get everything back to working again. She won't be eighteen anymore."

The billionaire stilled. "They knew?"

"I – well – "

"Rogers and Barnes both _knew_ about a possible cure and they didn't tell her? What the fuck? Where did you get it?"

"Clint brought it back – "

"Barton knew, too?"

Bruce sighed. "It was highly experimental. Clint didn't want to tell her incase it didn't work and I felt that the boys – "

"Had more of a right to know than Darcy? The one it _really_ affects?" Tony ran his hand through his hair and looked away in disgust. "You shouldn't have told me, either. I have an – an obligation to tell my daughter about something that could affect her life!"

"Tony – "

"Not now, Bruce."

* * *

 _"They…they knew?" Darcy had asked, her voice quiet and not at all like herself._

 _When Tony had come barreling into the penthouse and kicked everyone out, she had figured it was family stuff, but to hear what he had to say was a different story. There was something that would give her her life back. Something that could fix what her body had become._

 _"Bruce asked them for samples. Wanted to see how it would affect them. But, Darcy, I swear I didn't know."_

 _She nodded numbly. "I know. I just…why wouldn't they tell me? Unless…unless they want me to stay like this."_

 _"You can't age, sweetheart, I don't think that's the case."_

And somehow, she'd managed to steal the stupid little vial from Bruce's lab without being detected. Her converse-clad feet carried her to the familiar cemetery that Spot was laid in and she didn't hesitate dropping down in front of his grave marker and striking up a conversation.

"What do I do, Spot? Do I…should I be mad that they didn't tell me?" She sighed, her fingers running across his name. "Or should I just take it? Fuck the consequences?"

She made up her mind and shot a text message off to Clint with her location.

With a shrug, she popped the top off the vial and downed the blue liquid.

"Huh. I don't feel any – "

* * *

 **Be sure to leave a review!**

 **~Grace**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

 _December 29, 2012 – Manhattan, New York_

Clint sighed and hoisted Darcy's small form over his shoulder. He spotted the empty vial and groaned. "Really?" He grossed, grabbing his phone and dialing the last person he wanted to deal with.

"Rogers, get your ass to medical. I found Darcy."

Not bothering to wait for an answer, he crammed his phone back in his pocket and made his way to the car he'd _borrowed_ from Tony. After Darcy was settled in the back seat, he sped away, the cemetery in his rearview mirror.

His eyes lingered on Darcy's form and he felt the familiar ache bloom in his chest at not being her man. Not keeping her safe. Not having her _in love_ with him.

Bottom line – he was going to _kill_ Bruce.

* * *

"I _literally_ told you not to say anything!"

"I didn't tell _her_! I don't know how she found out!"

Clint's unimpressed glare made the doctor wilt. "What do you mean you didn't tell _her_? Who the fuck did you tell? And if you say Captain fucking America, we're gonna have words, Banner!"

"As fun as it would be to watch Katniss and Big Green duke it out, I'm pretty sure short stack would lose her shit if she found out," Tony said, poking his head out of her hospital room. "Either of you catch wind of the geriatric soldiers?"

"Beating each other to bloody pulps in the lower gym," Natasha said as she appeared with a doctor. "Darcy should be fine. They're running the blood work that Clint approved of.

Tony's eyes cut to the archer, but the other man refused to back down. "I'm her next of kin, even if you _are_ her pseudo-dad or whatever the fuck you claim to be."

He held up his hands. "Do what you want. _I'm_ the one in her room."

There was a thundering down the hallway before a worse-for-wear Barnes fairly limped down the hall. Blood was smeared high on his forehead and the hollow of his left eye was rapidly darkening.

"Is she okay? Where is she?"

"Where's Captain Tight-Ass?"

Barnes growled and shouldered his way past Tony, making his was to his girl and taking her hand.

Natasha filtered in after him and gave him a rundown as he hovered. "Physically, she's fine. Nothing sprained or broken. Clint signed off on blood work and we're waiting for the results. She – "

"Where was she? What happened?"

"With her brother. She found the cure – "

There was a metallic crack as Barnes crushed the guard railing surrounding her bed. "Goddammit! Fuckin' punk shoulda told her – "

"Rogers knew? _And_ you?" Clint grunted once he'd also pushed past Tony.

"And me!" Tony smirked.

"Fucking gossip," the arched groused, glaring at the general area where he knew Bruce was still lingering in the hallway.

Yelling erupted down the hall near the nurse station and it was only a matter of seconds before Steve appeared in the doorway, annoyance melting off his face and being replaced by worry when his eyes landed on Darcy.

"Is she okay?"

"We shoulda fuckin' told her," Barnes said lowly. His voice was gravel when his eyes swiveled to his friend. "She took it. She took it without knowin' – " his voice broke. "Without knowin' the risks."

The blond sighed and looked around at the group that had gathered. "Can we have a moment, please?"

There was some grumbling before everyone moved out and he shut the door behind a protesting Tony.

Steve took the seat of the opposite side of the bed, holding her left hand tightly in his. "She's a big girl, Buck. She made her choice."

Bucky nodded, swiping the lone tear that escaped his eyes. "She shouldn't have had to do it alone."

* * *

 _January 2, 2013 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

Darcy really did _not_ want to wake up. She felt like she was cocooned in the warmest, softest blanket she'd ever had and she didn't want to leave it.

"You with us, honey?" A voice said from above her. _Steve_ , her mind supplied.

She grumbled, wiggling onto her side and the bed rumbled beneath her.

"Think she's ignorin' ya, punk."

Steve sighed. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"Can you both shut up?" She groaned, flopping onto her back and throwing her arm across her face. "I'm trying to _sleep_. What the – _put me down_!"

Lips kissed every part of her face, Bucky managing to get words out in between. "You've been asleep – for days – and we really – _really_ – missed you!"

"Am I alive? Everything good?"

They both knew the weight of her words, knew what she was really after and wanted to avoid.

"You're aging like normal now, honey, just like us. Everything…worked itself out."

Darcy sighed and opened her eyes, seeing a slightly disgruntled Bucky looking down at her. "No. I don't want to get the lecture. I did what I did and it's done and over and everything worked out fine. No lectures, James Buchanan Barnes!"

"I wasn't – "

"I _know_ that face and that's not the face of someone that's going to let it go." She paused. "Can we just accept that I'm actually aging and we're all on the same page again? Christ, it was hard as fuck trying to plan a future when you two were becoming old men and I'm still eighteen and smokin' hot."

Bucky barked a laugh. "Old men? Baby, I can still show you a good time and Stevie's no slouch, either."

She smiled. "Can we go back to our place, now? I really want to sprawl out in _our_ bed with my pillows. And by pillows, I mean you two."

* * *

 _January 5, 2013 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

"Fuck, fuck, _fuck_!" Darcy's screams echoed throughout the apartment, mingling with Bucky's quiet grunts as he thrust into her from behind. "Bucky!" She wailed, "Right there! Mother _fuck_!"

Bucky pinned her arms behind her, his metal hand resting on her hip and pulling her against every push and pull that he managed to press into her. Her cunt clenched at his aching length, making him never want to leave the warmth of her.

"You gonna come, baby?" He asked breathlessly, his hand leaving her wrists and wrapping around her throat and pulling her taut against him. Her back arched and she whimpered as she grew tighter around him. "You gonna come all over me? Let me feel you, baby. Get my cock nice and wet so I can fill you with my seed?"

" _Bucky_!" The cry tore from her lips. Hips stuttering, she pushed fully back onto Bucky, his eyes crossing as her orgasm squeezed him unbearably tight.

"Lord, I can't leave you two alone for ten minutes," Steve griped halfheartedly as he kicked off his shoes from his run.

"It's…been…an hour," she corrected breathlessly, her breath hitching at a particularly hard thrust. "Fuck, Bucky!"

They were just begging to be caught, really. He'd bent her over the kitchen island for fuck's sake when she'd only been trying to make coffee. _Dammit_. She didn't finish the coffee.

The blond leaned against the wall, palming his growing erection through his sweatpants. He adored watching Darcy come apart, no matter who was doing it. The jealousy had dissipated into nothing as soon as they'd come together again and hell if he didn't like how Bucky's cock made her squirm.

"Fuck, I love you," Bucky cooed as he buried his cock as deep inside her as he could. She shuddered as a smaller orgasm raced through her and she collapsed in a heap on the cold granite of the island.

"You up for another round, honey?" Steve's grin was filthy as he prowled over to her.

She smiled tiredly and beckoned him over as Bucky's cock slid wetly out of her. "Come here, big boy. Make me see stars…and _stripes_."

* * *

 _January 15, 2013 – Manhattan, New York – Central Park_

"That one looks like an elephant."

"Hmmm. That one looks like Texas."

"Alabama at best."

"Oh, shut up."

Darcy smacked Clint's ribs, smirking when she heard a slight wheeze. She'd needed a little escape from the tower and her best friend was more than happy to spring her.

After a lot of testing, Darcy was cleared for field duty. She retained her strength and enhanced abilities, without the non-aging factor. Steve and Bucky had nearly had kittens when she told them she was going on their next mission with them, but Tony had put his foot down.

 _"She's a grown woman, Rogers. Women are equal, they can join the army now! If she wants to help protect the world, I'll make sure she's got state of the art protection and – "_

 _"I'm not worried about her getting hurt," Steve sighed, "I'm more worried about how she'll handle herself now that she's not…"_

 _"She's got the same abilities she's always had. Just without the pesky perpetual teenager thing going on."_

"I love you, you know?" She asked quietly. Turning her head, she caught his gaze and gave him a small smile. "I think about the circus a lot and how different it was. Sometimes, I wonder how different it would be if that was still our lives. If I was able to live out that life, do all the things I wanted." She trailed off. His hand found hers and squeezed gently. "A normal life with a normal guy and a normal house in the boring suburbs. But then I would've missed out on all this. All this excitement and my boys and…I wouldn't trade it. Not for anything."

Clint sighed. "I love you, Darce. I'm glad you're happy."

* * *

 _February 2, 2013 – Unknown Location_

"Darcy! Marry us!"

The girl in question spun around, barely missing a spear thrown by one of the aliens that were hell bent on making earth bow to them. Her braid had come undone and her hair hung around her face as she loaded her gun and took the shot, watching two of the giant purple things fall from the tall building.

"Are you _fucking_ crazy?" She screeched. An arrow nicked her bicep and she grimaced in pain. "Now is really _not_ the time, Steven Grant Rogers!"  
Clint picked her up and rolled her over his back so she landed on his other side, gun prepped as she flung the blade strapped to her thigh. "Get your ass to higher ground; Tony needs your eyes."

And sure enough, there was a rope coming down from the side of the building that she hauled herself up without a second thought. Besides, the thought of impending marriage.

" _You know Stevie never had much tact, baby_ ," Bucky's voice rumbled through her com along with the sound of gunshots. " _Give him some slack._ "

"He speak for you, too, Barnes?" She huffed back, climbing as fast as her legs would take her. Scaling a fucking building was hard. Especially when you were fun-sized.

" _I might've asked after I had your thighs shakin' 'round my ears for the third time in a night, but, y'know, I know how you like it._ "

She could practically feel how smug he was and it took her a second to regain her footing because, damn, his voice could do things to her.

" _Can we not discuss my daughter's sexcapades, please? I like to pretend I'm blissfully ignorant when it comes to what she gets up to._ "

Darcy smiled, hauling herself up the last of the rope and throwing her leg over the edge of the building. "Steve, Buck?"

" _Yeah, honey_?"

" _Baby_?"

"My answer's yes."

* * *

 _April 9, 2013 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

 _Darcy was running. She was_ so _late. And someone was at her corner! Damned poacher. How dare he?_

 _Growling to herself, she turned on her heel and started back to the corner store. A squeal of surprise tore from her as she was yanked backwards, falling on her bottom in the process._

 _"What in th' world." She cursed as she stood up, brushing the dust off of her trousers and trying to find her hat that had somehow fallen off._

 _"I saw the light – "_

 _"What's th' matter with you?" She asked the boy that stood directly behind her, her hat in his hand. "Am I not allowed to cross the street?"_

 _"I saw the light change. Didn't want ya to get run over."_

 _Darcy looked up at the stoplight and noticed it was green. Sighing, she shook out her curls and thanked him. "Guess I wasn't paying attention. What're ya gawkin' at?"_

 _She looked him over, noticing that his hair was just a bit lighter than hers but he was just as pale. His eyes were a lighter blue, too, and she simply cocked her head at him._

 _"Name's James," he said, his voice cracking before he coughed violently._

 _She gave him a gap-toothed grin and responded in kind. "Lewis. Good to meet ya, James._

Darcy flipped in bed, cuddling closer to Steve, just barely on the brink of sleep.

 _Hauling herself up from her spot in front of the canned beans, she walked stiff-legged to the door and hauled it open. A skinny blond kid stood in front of her with a confused face that she was sure mirrored her own._

 _"Can I help you?" Darcy asked, a bit of a bite to her voice._

 _"I-I saw the light – " he started before he began coughing violently._

 _Alarm welled up in her and she was beside him in a second, beating against his back as he struggled to breath._

 _"Steve?" Bucky's head popped out of the market and his eyes were big. "What're ya doin' here?"_

 _When the blond, Steve, regained full use of his lungs, he stuttered out, "Saw the light on in th' store. Wanted to come by and see if ya needed anythin'."_

 _Darcy ushered Steve into the store, mindful of how frail he was. Granted, she was still on the less than healthy side, but this kid looked like he was on death's door._

 _"Steve, this is my…friend, Darcy," Bucky said awkwardly. "Darce, this is Steve. He lives a few blocks over from me."_

 _She smiled at him. "Nice to meet ya, Stevie."_

 _"Likewise…doll."_

 _She turned an unflattering shade of pink and looked down, pulling her sleeves down her arms. He'd said her words. Steve had said her words. Should she ask him if he had words? She'd just met him…that was probably considered bad etiquette._

 _"Well, I should probably get home," she finally said, wanting the tension in the room to go away. "I'll see ya on Monday, Bucky."_

 _"See ya Monday, Darce."_

Darcy bolted upright in bed, tugging at the bracelets around her wrists and reading them carefully.

 _I saw the light._

Without thinking, she flipped Steve onto his back and pulled at his left arm, whispering fiercely for JARVIS to turn up the lights. Wrapped around his left wrist were her words. The first words she'd ever said to him.

 _Can I help you_?

"Wasgoinon?" Bucky mumbled, trying to wipe the sleep from his eyes. He looked at Darcy straddling Steve and grinned. "Am I missing something – Darcy, what the hell!"

She didn't waste time jumping from one man to the other, effectively pinning him down and reaching for his right hand, ripping off the leather cuff he usually wore and ignoring his scolding.

 _What's the matter with you?_

Before she could catch herself, big fat tears were rolling down her face and she cried into Bucky's chest when he moved to comfort her. Steve looked over at the pair, completely bewildered.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"Fuck if I know. I woke up and she was tryin' to ride ya like a damn pony and before I knew it she was on me. Now she's cryin' like the world's endin'."

"Darcy? Honey, what's wrong?"

She sniffled. "You wear my words. You both do. I…I remember and you _wear my words_."

Both men stiffened before they came down on her, covering every inch they could reach in kisses and mumurs of affection.

"Like there was ever any doubt," Steve sighed against her hair, wrapping his arms around her on top of Bucky's.

"You wear my words," she repeated, too blissed out to care.

And they showed her exactly how much they loved her.

* * *

 _April 10, 2013 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

"Darce! Wake up – move it, red, white, and annoying – Darce!"

The brunette rolled onto her back and effectively pinned Bucky beneath her as she blinked up at Clint with sleepy eyes. "Clint? What's wrong?" Her voice was groggy from sleep, but she wanted to give him her full attention. Well, as much as she could give with Bucky's _full attention_ flagging against the small of her back.

"I found her."

"What?"

"I _found_ her."

"Clint! That's great!"

In retrospect, she probably shouldn't have bounced out of bed and wrapped her arms around his neck seeing as she was still naked from her romp the night before. With a few indignant squawks from the boys she abandoned in the bed, Clint hurriedly wrapped a sheet around her, leaving the soldiers bare.

"Jesus, can none of you wear clothes?"

Bucky hefted himself out of the bed and strode to the closet gloriously naked while Steve just threw an arm over his face, the tips of his ears turning pink.

"Okay, but in our defense, you came into _our_ apartment without knocking. What if we were having crazy monkey sex?" Darcy tilted her head, a smirk tugging at her full lips.

"He missed that by a few hours," Bucky grinned, pulling up some sweats and throwing a pair at the blond on the bed. "Besides, anyone would like to see that, baby. Have you seen how pretty you are when you – "

"Bucky!" She blushed down to the roots of her hair and kissed Clint's jaw playfully. "She pretty? And nice?"

"Gotta be honest, Darce. She's not as pretty as you. Not nearly as nice, either. But I think I can make it work. Her name's Laura and…she's got a couple kids from a previous thing she had goin' on. Doesn't bother me any."

"But kids – "

"I only ever wanted kids with you. And I'm fully aware that I'm sayin' that in the room with your fiancés that you're marrying in less than five hours, but it's true. She doesn't seem to keen on havin' more, anyway. It's a good match. A smart one if anything."

Darcy sighed. "As long as you're happy."

"I think I will be," Clint murmured, giving a half smile, "I gotta be."

* * *

 _May 5, 2013 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

"You're pregnant."

Darcy's head snapped up and the cookie in her hand clattered to the countertop. "What the fuck, Tony?"

She'd only been married for almost a month, but they had… _not_ been using contraceptives. _Shit_. Groaning, she smacked her head against the island and mumbled incoherently.

"Have you taken a test yet? Oh! Better yet, let's get to medical. They can check you out and – "

"I'm not pregnant, I can't be. Nothing feels different and I – "

"You're eating an obscene amount of calories, short stack – "

"It's to make up for all the _obscene_ sex I've been having."

Tony made a face. "I really don't want to hear that."

"Then, I'm not pregnant," she shrugged. "Besides, it's not like you have a lot of experience with that, right? You can't just look at me and _know_.  
"Touché."

* * *

 _May 10, 2013 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

It turned out that Tony did in fact _know_. Especially when later, that very same day, she began puking her guts up in a ficus plant in the entryway of the tower. She had waved it off as the flu again, but when it persisted for days afterwards, she knew something was up.

So, after recruiting Natasha to go with her, Darcy made her way to the medical wing and peed in a cup only to be told that she was pregnant. Almost a month along. Which led her to promptly pass out and be awoken by Clint staring down at her like an idiot.

"You're – "

"Pregnant. I know," she grumbled, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Someone had dressed her in an exam gown and she was quick to tear it off – ignoring Clint's intake of breath – and shimmied back into her leggings and sweater.

"You don't seem…"

"I've already lost one baby, okay?" She said quietly as she laced up her shoes. "What's keeping this one from going anywhere?"

Clint knelt down in front of her, gripping her chin and forcing her to look at him. "You know what that serum did to your body, sweetheart. You couldn't age, couldn't accommodate new life. But that gene's gone now. You have all the normal risks with pregnancy, but you can do it. I…I know you can."

She swallowed dryly. "Where's Talia?"

"Went to go find your boys. Didn't want them to worry."

Not even five minutes later and Steve and Bucky were rushing into the room, looking her over critically.

"Everything okay?" Bucky asked, worry etched on his face.

"Did something happen?" Steve tilted her face from side to side and she indulged him.

Deciding to bite the bullet, she baldly said, "I'm pregnant. So, you two better start brushing up on daddy-to-be books so we don't muck this up more than we have to – _Bucky_!"

She was squished against him and all she could smell was the cologne he'd sprayed on when he'd left that morning.

"Dammit, baby, why you rushin' everything?" He murmured, pressing kisses to the crown of her head.

"Ex _cuse_ me?"

Steve laughed. "We were gonna take you a little bit upstate. To a house we've been fixin' up. It…was supposed to be a surprise and we were gonna tell you – "

"That we wanted to start tryin' for a family, baby. But ya fuckin' beat us to it."

She giggled, "You know I hate surprises."

* * *

 **One more chapter left! Hope you all enjoy.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Epilogue**

 _November 30, 2013 – Brooklyn, New York – Barnes/Rogers Residence_

She couldn't see her toes anymore and she was pretty sure that her stomach had acquired its own zip code by now. Gone was the sweet, romantic sex and in its place was jumping her boys whenever she wanted. Which, to be fair, was quite often. She'd managed to give Captain America a limp. A _limp_ goddammit.

Natasha hovered around her almost nonstop and plied her cravings with chocolate chip cookies and excessively buttered popcorn. Tony made sure she was stimulated mentally, often coming to her and asking her opinion on her projects and inventions. Clint, however, had taken on the role of mother hen. Making sure all of her doctor appointments were met by her and the boys, that she was fed and watered, and that she was comfy while growing his godchild.

"Honey? Are you okay?"

Darcy looked up from the blanket she'd been knitting, a pale gold and green, and smiled tiredly. "It's been a long day – "

"It's noon," Bucky said flatly as he shut the apartment door behind him. "And you've only been awake since ten."

She sighed in exasperation. "You try making a human, then! It's hard! My ankles are swollen and I'm horny all the time and none of my clothes fit! I'm living in Steve's stupid grandpa flannels because it's the only thing that's comfortable."

"My _grandpa flannels_ come in handy now, huh?"

"Oh, shut up."

Bucky sat on the couch next to her, his hands rubbing her swollen belly. "He better be cute."

" _She's_ going to be adorable."

Steve groaned. "We're not having this fight again. As long as the baby's healthy, that's all that matters."

"You already painted the nursery pink, punk. Don't pretend to be impartial."

Darcy cocked her head. "Really?"

"Don't go in there, the paint's still drying."

* * *

 _December 18, 2013 – Manhattan, New York – Stark Tower_

Two hours into waiting and worrying, Darcy felt liquid run down her legs and soak the almost threadbare leggings she'd been wearing.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit." Darcy chanted as she struggled to get off the couch, not making much progress. "JARVIS, can you – fucking _hell_ – can you get Pepper, please? Is there anyone else in the building?"

" _Of course. Would you like me to alert the team as well? Dr. Banner is still in his lab_ – "

"For the love of God, JARVIS, please get someone. I'm in labor and I need to get off this damned couch like five minutes ago. Fuck!"

" _Miss Potts is on her way_."

Not even five minutes later and Pepper was bursting into the room, her expensive heels in her hand and only a single hair out of place. "Darcy – "

"Can you help me up, _please_? Mom – _fuck_! – can you get the boys here? They can't – they can't miss this."

The redhead choked up a little and nodded, helping her pseudo-daughter from the couch while calling for Bruce. "C'mon, sweetheart. Let's get Steve and Bucky back here."

"And my dad."

"And your dad," Pepper amended, her voice catching a little.

* * *

 _December 25, 2013 – Brooklyn, New York – Barnes/Rogers Residence_

Clint looked down at the tiny infant in his arms. Her hair was dark like her mother's and she had the fullest lips on a baby that he's ever seen. And he just knew that when she opened her eyes, they'd be as blue as the damned ocean. "What'd you name her?" He asked gruffly.

She smiled and flopped back onto the couch, thankful that someone else was there to entertain her sleeping babe. "Sarah Francis Winifred Barnes-Rogers."

"God, what're you doin' to that kid? It's a fuckin' mouthful."

Darcy smiled. "I can take out the Francis, if you want – "

"No, no," Clint backpedaled. "It's a good name." And it _was_. A strong name. This little girl would have more people looking out for her than any other child in the world. She'd be protected and safe and so _so_ loved.

"How's everything with Laura?"

It was a topic he'd been avoiding. Soul mates…it was hard to put into words how it was supposed to feel between two people that were bound to be together. Especially when the other part of his relationship was miserable.

He shrugged, smiling when Sarah cooed in his arms. "We have our good days and bad days. Right now, I think we're just tolerating each other. She's mad that I don't want more kids, I think her three are enough to keep us busy."

Darcy's brow furrowed. "Clint…you wanted kids – "

"We're not gettin' into this. We've been over it over and over again and I'm talked out, Darce. Let me live vicariously through you havin' this little one."

"Okay, okay. Just…I love you, okay?"

"I love you, too, babe."

* * *

 _July 13, 2014 – Brooklyn, New York – Barnes/Rogers Residence_

A little plus sign stared back at her and she groaned loudly. "Not again. Jesus, not _again_."

Darcy had been craving jellybeans for almost two weeks and Clint had bought her the test, confirming what they both knew. She hung her head and sighed tiredly. Sarah was just starting to really sleep through the night and her body had reclaimed its normal curvy stature just to be messed up again.

"I don't know why you're upset," Clint said, leaning against the doorframe and smirking at her. "More babies is a good thing, right? I mean, another little girl would be – "

"It's a boy," she whispered, rubbing her flat stomach absently.

"Mother's intuition?"

Darcy smiled, hearing the boys traipse in the front door and Sarah's excited screams from her bassinet. "Yeah."

"Darce? Clint? Everything okay?" Bucky's voice filtered through the house.

The archer looked down at her in sympathy. "Do you wanna tell them? Or wait?"

She thought about it for a moment. "Nah. Sean shouldn't be hidden. Let's go bite the bullet."

He held up his hands. "I'm not the one that got you pregnant – wait, Sean?"

"It's a fitting name," she defended.

Clint smiled, "Very fitting. Let's go, sweetheart."

* * *

 **That's all, guys! I hope you've liked this story. Let me know what you thought.**

 **See ya on the flipside!**

 **~Grace**


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